The Scarred Children
by Golden Warrior Eagle
Summary: I don't want to watch. Haven't I seen enough? The Capitol is being tortured by the districts, and it seems like no innocent person, no matter how small, is safe. 3rd in the Children series.
1. Reapings

**Reasoning and everything at the end, here's your chapter. **

**UPDATE: The Gamemaker sessions have inexplicably gone missing. I apologize for anyone reading back through the story.**

Seraphin's stomach was bulging, 5 months pregnant, under her tasteful mint green dress. Posy sat on her lap, and Gale and Isaac sat on either side of her. The 4 of them were all very close. Posy and Gale were siblings, Seraphin and Isaac were neighbors, but it was deeper than that. They were all friends and had deep connections. The games, disgust at Katniss' new personality, suffering, nightmares.

They were sitting on the stage, waiting for the reapings to begin. Them and everyone else in the Palace. The escort, dressed in black as always, was getting ready too.

This year, they were going to pick them in assigned trios.

"I guess we better get started," The escort tittered nervously. Then she stuck her hand into the reaping bowl of younger girls.

"Shura Narmer." Her 11 year old frame quivered in her shocking pink dress. Her red eyes glared through a layer of tears, and they matched her red hair.

Next, the boy in her group. "Nathaniel Elmer." A tall and handsome 17 year old had a look of fear for only a second before turning into a hardened mask of determination. He wore a black tux that went well with his dark hair.

Finally, the older girl. "Ribbon Mason." Her hair was dark purple, she was 16, her skin was tan, and she wore a light purple dress, but that's not what anyone noticed. What people noticed were the two guards on either side of her, escorting the screaming, raging, convulsing girl to the stage.

The three of them sat on stage while the second trio was being picked.

"Snow Dream." In the 76th Games, Autumn Dream died. This was his shaggy haired 7 year old brother. His gray eyes were large and wondering. A 12 year old girl in her section reached out in his direction, a few tears in her eyes.

"Nike Jones." A cold looking 18 year old walked up with a smirk on his face. He wore a smart black tuxedo that went well with his cropped black hair and blood red eyes.

"Belladonna Rosen." An 18 year old girl had a small, excited smile on her face, and was dressed in a black ballerina outfit. Her skin was tinted silver, and her hair was flat black, just like both her eyes and the makeup around them.

The third group was somewhere in the crowd, and very soon they would be revealed.

"Ella Dawson." A 6 year old had brown eyes welling up with tears and didn't move. Her pale pink dress and long brown hair in pigtails made her seem so innocent. A 12 year old boy stepped up and held her hand, slowly bringing her up there while whispering.

"Blanche Clique." The 18 year old that was about to become a new doctor for the Capitol walked acceptingly in a loose pair of white pants, and a loose T-shirt. His paper-white skin and hair matched the clean white look very well.

"Annaleese Mayhell." Annaleese was 12 years old, and had clearly spent a lot of time curling her yellow hair, putting fake gems on her pale cheeks, and enhancing her electric blue eyes. She waved like a princess to the crowd, her whitened teeth showing clearly in her smile. Her dress was poofy and light blue.

The last Palace trio.

"Dawson Callo." He was 7, and tears immediately began pouring from his shining blue eyes. Dawson wore ironed khakis and a blue polo shirt. He looked positively miserable, sniffling on stage.

"Krista Crane." 15, long blonde hair, gorgeous green eyes. There was a small smile on her face, and she strutted in her brown skinny jeans and lime green tank top.

"Everest Thorne." A 14 year old looked very taken aback with a shocked look in his hazel eyes. He ran his hand over his extremely short chestnut hair.

There they were. The 12 tributes from the Palace, being taken to the library to meet with the families one last time.

Then the Dome tributes.

"Rose Pearson." A wide, innocent pair of emerald green 6 year old eyes swept the crowd in confusion. Her lacy white dress stood out against her shock of red hair. She caught the eyes of a 15 year old boy.

"Keenan Pearson." The 15 year old boy Rose met eyes with her green eyes but brown hair looked outraged. Once on stage, he knelt down and hugged his sister close to him.

"Angel Curry." The 16 year old girl with curly purple hair and a leather jacket made her way up to the stage with a confused look on her face.

The first dome group all locked eyes.

"Lancer Rantom." Lancer was an 11 year old with big brown eyes wide with surprise. He was very pale, and shook in his brown shorts and T-shirt.

"Gina Love." A 14 year old started to cry, just as a 16 year old yelled out, "I, Jinx Flame, volunteer." She was grinning in a wicked smile, and her white skirt swished around her legs. Seraphin saw something deep in her green eyes. Something primal and scared.

"Kile Serpindal." A 13 year old boy in a tuxedo walked up stage. He didn't look surprised or even that upset.

Next trio.

"Cyra Nash." The 10 year old in question was in a knit red dress and had a bold expression in her blue eyes. Her light blonde hair brushed her shoulders and she glared at Jinx who gazed blankly back.

"Ivan Gril." He was only 12, but a taller boy, 15, pushed his way through. "I volunteer as tribute. My name is Kronik Tarito."

"Artemis Rion." Her dark blue hair contrasted with her light blue dress. She was 17, so the look of shock and a little bit of fear on her face was strange.

The last group of dome kids were about to be chosen, and everyone was repelling the thought that it could be them.

"Wilhelm Mayer." A 5 year old boy froze. His blue eyes were huge, or at least as much of it as you could see under his long blonde bangs. The Peacekeepers picked him up and he came back to reality, kicking and looking at two older girls, both of which were crying.

"Colton Blackwood." He was 17 with wildly spiked blue hair and blue eyes. He looked upset for only a fraction of a second before breaking out into a large grin.

"Allyson Dovecoat." A 17 year old girl who looked ghostly with her sheer white dress, her waist length blond hair and huge blue eyes held a cream colored cat. Peacekeepers took the cat, which hissed and scratched one in the face. The girl Allyson was poorly feigning happiness, shock and fear easily seeable beneath the shaky façade.

The Dome kids were all brought to the expensive college to say their goodbyes.

It was time for the final 4 groups, the Shack.

"Amber Dimare." She was 10 with her dark red hair back in a braid, and her blue eyes leaking with tears. She didn't move, and people pushed the girl, who wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, up to the stage.

"Cliff Brenson." A tall, muscular 18 year old with thick brown hair walked very proudly and determinedly.

"Brooke Dimare." A 15 year old girl met Amber's eyes. Her hair wasn't red, but curly and brown. She wore a green dress with thin straps, and she walked with the slightest limp.

Only 12 left.

"Jonah FaeFort." The crowds, especially parents, gasped in horror as a 9 year old hobbled through the crowd on crutches and half of his right leg missing. He was very small and crying and going very pale.

"Copper Tin." "I volunteer!" Almost immediately, a boy was pushing his way through the crowd, 17 years old. He was dark-skinned and strong, wearing a black v-neck and an emotionless expression.

"Bexter Anne." A dark-skinned 15 year old with tangled black hair and a green off-the-shoulder dress that was a size or two to big for her. She looked emotionless, but four little dark skinned girls began crying.

Elijah nodded at Cliff before they both turned back to the reaping.

"Audrianna Glass." The 8 year old sister of Auriel Glass walked with an upset expression and a faded blue dress. Her hair was curly and brown, like her late sisters, and her skin was tanned.

"Atticus Marr." 15, dark brown hair, dark eyes, and clrealy homeless. His clothes were ratty and he had a completely indifferent look on his face.

"Shine Jewel." A 17 year old green walked slowly up to stage, her pink eyes wide with shock and fear. Her white blonde hair was long enough to go past the top of her strapless, very short gold dress.

The very last group was somewhere in the crowd.

"Rouge McDouglass." An 11 year old boy sort of shrugged, ran his hand through his brown hair, and walked up to the stage. A boy in the crowd said, "You're kidding me, right?" Rouge met the boys eyes and then the next name was called.

"Tempo Massimo." The 15 year old boy who had spoken during Rouge's reaping laughed a bit before his face collapsed into a solemn expression. His long brown hair was braided, and he stared seriously into Rouge's blue eyes.

"Ember Pillox." She was 17 with dark red hair streaked with black, and rebellious and gothic look, but she trembled as she walked to the stage. Her last name, Pillox, was the same as Iris' from last Games. Ember was wearing a short blue dress with a black cardigan and black heels.

The kids of the Shack were rushed to the local hospital to meet their friends and family.

Seraphin turned to Isaac and almost started crying. Isaac, who still wasn't the most comfortable with people, patted her on the back and helped her out of her chair. Gale threw Posy onto his shoulders so she towered above everyone. Seraphin wrapped one arm around Isaac for emotional support and reached out one hand to hold Posy's. Gale set one hand on Seraphin's shoulder and looked into Isaac's dark eyes.

The four of them stood, a powerful force against what they thought was wrong, and that they had no power to stop.

**By the way, no sponsor points this story. But your reviews just might keep your tribute alive longer…because I like knowing that people are reading, and what they're thinking. I'm not having a sponsor system because the tributes earn prizes by protecting their smaller tribute. Now that you know how your tribute's small tribute reacted to the reaping, what will your tribute do? Kill them to get them out of the way? Protect them to try and keep themselves alive? Ignore them and leave it to fate?**

**This is the second reposting of the 78th games under the same title. I apologize for the people who suddenly got about 20 messages in their inboxes if they have me on author alert.**

**It was taken down with 21 chapters and 250 reviews, and I will admit I cried when it happened.**

**I have more details about why this took so long on the newest chapter as of July 3rd, 2012.**

**But I've decided to put it back up and keep working on it. The prequel of this story, The Lost Children, was also removed. But I was too lazy to put it back up on here. So you can find that at sanctuaryofthestrange . blogspot . com without those stupid spaces.**

**However, I lost a few of the early chapters, just tribute lists and the introduction.**

**So, Katniss is evil, giving the capitol kids punishment by sending them into the games with a speical twist.**

**The twist is that for every boy/girl tribute pair, one child between the ages of 5 and 11 are reaped with them as their source of food. Not cannibalism, but for every 2 tributes that died, they would all get a small amount of food.**

**Nothing is revised in any way. All stupid typos are still there.**

**Now, without any further ado, I this is what was once chapter 5 of the** Scarred Children.


	2. Train Rides

**These are train rides…have fun!**

**Seraphin**

There were 13 cars in the train. One for each group of tributes and one for Isaac and I.

I remembered my train ride, where I sat next to Nolan, who I shared a chariot with as well. It was silent and tearful for me. I thought of Kayla and my imminent death. Four days later I thought of Rigel and the idea that I had a chance to win.

At least I didn't kill anyone during my games. Isaac killed once, that girl Islianna.

We talked about anything that came to mind. Anything we could think of.

We ended up talking about my pregnancy, thinking of names. I told him that if they were a boy, he would be Rigel. If they were a girl, her name would most likely be Chrysanthemum, the name of my late aunt, Verity's mom.

He said they were both good names, and we went back to our aimless small talk.

**Ribbon, Nathaniel, and Shura **

The three in the first car all looked uncomfortable.

Ribbon, a victim of Multiple Personality Disorder, was extremely paranoid, in the personality she called Jemma. She bit her lip so hard she drew blood, and she twirled her purple hair around her finger. Shura was ignoring the older two, glaring angrily out the window.

Nathaniel attempted to make conversation. Ribbon would squeal and start to cry every time he talked to her, and Shura didn't care for him.

So the three sat in silence, Shura and Nathaniel pretending they didn't hear the occasional scream from Ribbon.

**Brooke, Cliff, and Amber**

Brooke was taking the braid out of her sisters hair before re-doing it. Amber was staring intently at her token, a golden locket with a small family portrait inside.

Cliff, who felt pretty awkward around them, stared out the window. Truthfully, he felt horrible for the two of them. He knew if he could, he would protect Amber, but he couldn't tell if Brooke would accept it.

Then suddenly Brooke couldn't handle the silence anymore. "Cliff, I'm really sorry about the quiet, we're just kinda in shock. I'm sure if you have a brother and sister, you know. Amber and I are going to stick together, and you could too, if you want. Anyway, do you have a little brother?"

Cliff shook off the shock the sudden chattiness brought and responded, "Aaron, he's 15. Yeah, he means a lot to me. And I would ally with you, if you want."

Amber smiled up at him, running her hand down her new braid. Brooke grinned at him too, and Cliff couldn't help but smile back.

**Angel, Keenan, and Rose**

Keenan had Rose on his lap and was stroking her hair. Rose talked excitedly to Angel, who was amused by the imagination of the little girl.

Keenan laughed when Rose told of her more crazy dreams, and he realized he would protect his little sister with his life.

Angel found herself falling in love with Rose, but stayed quiet. She was shy by nature and wasn't used to attention.

So the three of them laughed together, partially forgetting where they were going.

**Belladonna, Nike, and Snow**

Nike looked Belladonna and Snow up and down, observing them. Belladonna was looking in confusion at Snow. Snow looked miserable, and was tapping the table in front of him in a different spot every few seconds.

"What are you doing?" Belladonna said in annoyance. Snow looked up at her, sadness reflecting into his eyes.

"Playing chess." He said quietly.

"With who?" Nike asked with incredulity. Snow pointed to himself and went back to his game. After another minute, he smiled a little bit. He had won. Then Snow reached into the pocket of his blue tuxedo and pulled out a red and yellow striped top.

He spun it on the table constantly. "Why are you doing that?" Belladonna said, annoyed again.

"No one plays it with me anymore." Snow informed her. When Belladonna asked if anyone ever had, Snow nodded slowly, telling her that his older brother Autumn used to play with him, but that he died in the 76th Games of infection.

Belladonna bit her lip, remembering Kyrie, her lost love who met a horrible fate in those same games. Nike saw her looking sad, and she saw that he looked at her like that. When she realized he was judging her, she ignored Snow and began to talk strategy with Nike.

**Bexter, Elijah, and Jonah **

Elijah was making the other two in his group uncomfortable with his incessant glares. Jonah fidgeted and ran his fingers over the stump that was once his leg.

Bexter was silent, as usual. In some ancient, maternal part of her mind, she sort of wanted to comfort Jonah because she could see how awkward he felt. But she flipped her mind to her 4 younger sisters alone on the streets and went back to worrying. She had told them where to stay, where she always 'obtained' food from, but she still worried. The oldest was only 8, and the youngest was was 4. If she had been chosen for the 77th Games that occurred in September, at least they'd be warm. But in November, it got cold in the Capitol.

While Bexter mentally grieved, Elijah was plotting. He knew Jonah would be no good. The kid would hold him down. He would die anyway. Besides, why would Elijah need extra supplies?

He would join the alliance with the others who had trained, but we wouldn't trust them. He saw the stunt Erik pulled last year with the tent…

As for Jonah, the 9 year old just wanted it to end quickly.

**Jinx, Kile, and Lancer**

Lancer was only 2 years younger than Kile, and the two were getting along. Though Lancer hadn't lost anyone in the Games, Kile's best friend Arashu died with a knife in his lung. Both of the boys were trying to ignore Jinx, who eyed them like they were cooked steaks.

Jinx was trying to remember the strong, formidable tributes who had been reaped, or even better, volunteered. They wouldn't be like those stupid Capitol Careers, they were real Careers. Trained and worthy of the crown. Jinx could picture the elaborate gold crown being set onto her dark brown hair.

Lancer was useless. Her source of food or not, he was still pointless to have around. Too kind and giving for her tastes. Kile might be something. He had trained around 12 hours, she had seen hid log, but it was not enough to be counted a Career.

Belladonna would be good. Elijah, Nike, Kronik. All of their logs proved them worthy. Even Ribbon when she was angry could be helpful. Jinx closed her eyes and pictured her grand future.

**Annaleese, Blanche, and Ella**

"I don't want to be here! Get me out!" Annaleese screamed. In her mind, she was kicking and punching and clawing and biting. In real life, she was banging her fists on the table and yelling, as she had been doing for an hour. Ella and Blanche had begun to ignore her.

Blanche was trying to tell the little girl what she should do in training to keep herself safe, and their alliance strong. She had her head cocked to one side and was listening intently. Her big brown eyes were locked onto his very light ones.

Her small, short fingers were playing with a small golden teddy bear charm on a thin gold chain. Ella still wore her pale pink dress and had her white ballet shoes on the table. Blanche was trying not to scream at her for being unsanitary, trying to convince himself that it was natural and that little kids were messy.

But he wasn't doing too well.

**Shine, Atticus, Audriaunna **

Audriaunna wasn't enjoying this. She was actually distancing herself from the situation by thinking to the future. She remembered Auriel, and how she managed to survive for as long as she did. Every now and then though, she would open her eyes and cringe at what she saw.

Shine was dancing about in her short gold dress, giggling with glee. Somehow, she had convinced Audriaunna to hum a song for her to dance to, and she was having far too much fun.

Atticus ignored them both, keeping to himself like he had always done.

This group as an alliance would last precisely 10 seconds.

**Artemis, Kronik, Cyra**

The three in the 9th train car seemed to be perfectly fine not communicating with each other. A shelf of books rested in each car, though most tributes ignored them. Artemis, however, jumped on the chance to read and buried herself in the text, not letting her mind focus on the gloomy future.

Kronik, bored, had pulled down a book of poetry and was slowly flipping pages, not really paying attention to the words on the page, not letting his mind turn to his hours upon hours of training.

Cyra had nothing better to do. So she pulled down a book filled with pictures of landscapes, thinking about what in these pictures the arena would hold. She would not let her mind turn to Jinx or her dead sister, or the undeniable connection between the two.

**Krista, Everest, and Dawson **

Krista was angry, Dawson was quiet, and Everest was shy. This made for a very quiet train ride.

Dawson felt the awkward vibes emanating from Everest, and the rage from Krista. Krista had been outraged at being put into the Games.

Everest looked over his team. Krista seemed currently unapproachable, and Dawson didn't look too happy either. So he sat back and chose to be quiet instead.

**Ember, Tempo, Rouge**

Tempo talked aimlessly and endlessly to Rouge. The two friends were often together, so the younger boy was used to Tempo's chatter. Ember wasn't, but she was doing her best to be okay with it.

Tempo was distracting himself by making it seem normal. It was a normal day, where he talked to Rouge and Rouge nodded and laughed with him. Rouge really did like Tempo, and didn't want to see him sad, so worked to make him happy by keeping himself happy. He knew Tempo hated to see him sad too.

Ember remembered Annie and Cashel. The innocent Annie, and the slightly mischievous Cashel who her cousin allied herself with. She has sympathized with poor Annie, and was finding a slight resemblance between her and Rouge. Both of them were just children.

So Ember jumped into the conversation and found herself making two new friends that she would protect.

**Allyson, Colton, and Will**

Allyson smiled happily and Will, who was telling her about his sisters. Lynn, the 10 year old who loved art, and Jae, the 12 year old who had a way with words. Allyson listened, and so did Colton.

The two of them both grinned at the animated way the little boy talked. Allyson who had no siblings and Colton who had one older brother both found themselves loving Will.

Colton met his deep blue eyes to Allyson's huge pale blue eyes. From there, they looked at Will's innocent baby blues as well. Will had stopped talking, and was just watching the two of them watch each other. He smiled knowingly, took a small chapter book off of the shelf, and began to read.

The two older tributes sort of laughed as the kid acted like an adult, even though he was reading a brightly colored book with no more than 50 pages.

Everyone in the last train car was happy and content with their situation, temporarily ignoring what was at the end of this ride.

**Train rides! I enjoyed that, even though it took me forever. What did you think? Clearly some alliances are forming (a bit more than that in one case), and some tension as well.**

**So…this is weird to end without sponsor points. Anyway…review? I guess?**

**Monkey Cerebellum**


	3. Chariot Rides

**Posy**

Seraphin let me sit on her lap during the chariot rides. These were my favorite things of the whole games. Everyone looked beautiful and happy, and very alive. I held onto Gale's hand. Isaac wrapped an arm around Seraphin's shoulders, and they looked at each other every now and then.

Each trio had their own chariot. They would start with Shack, then Dome, then Palace. Then Shack, Dome, Palace, one at a time revealing the well-dressed tributes atop their blank chariots.

In the first chariot was Brooke, Cliff, and Amber. Brooke had a strapless yellow dress and a yellow headband with large red feathers sticking up tastefully. Amber had a green dress with thin straps and a green headband with brown feathers sticking up. Cliff's thick brown hair had been woven with brown and white feathers and he wore a white dress shirt and light brown dress pants.

Second came Angel, Keenan and Rose. Angel wore a dress with the one shoulder top being purple, and the black bottom layered and in a tutu style. Little Rose had something similar, but white and lavender. Keenan had a shiny white shirt and a pair of sleek purple pants.

Next was Ribbon, Nathanial, and Shura. Shura looked ridiculous with her frilly rainbow colored dress that had ribbons coming every which way, but she seemed to like it. Nathanial was dressed simply in a navy colored tank top and jeans, but it made him look good. Ribbon wore a silky purple dress with a blue layer underneath it, and ribbons in her hair.

Bexter, Elijah, and Jonah quickly followed. Elijah had a large hooded cloak with a tall weapon in his hand. The Grim Reaper. Jonah was dressed sort of like a sailor. Bexter had a green halo of ribbon in her hair that she wouldn't take her hand off of, and a long dress that was white at the top that faded slowly into black.

Now the 5th chariot, holding Jinx, Kile, and Lancer went by. Jinx wore a silver dress that shimmered and glowed a little bit. Kile wore very little, but what he had was white with white wings and a bow in his hand. Lancer had a bright orange shirt and black pants.

Number 6 had Belladonna, Nike, and Snow. Snow wore a pink tuxedo and a long orange scarf, the ends caught in the wind. Belladonna had a black ball gown, long black gloves, and a feathery black masquerade mask. Nike looked handsome and intimidating in a black tuxedo with a pink carnation attached to it that was wilting quickly as he went along.

Shine, Atticus, and Audriaunna all looked very mismatched. Shine was grinning like a nut in her short white dress. Atticus wore all black, blending into the night. Audriaunna wore a big fluffy green dress the same color as her eyes that seemed to bring out how small she was.

In the 8th chariot was Artemis, Kronik, and Cyra. Artemis had a long white Greek style dress, and her hair was in a sort of side braid. An empty bow was slung over her shoulder. Cyra wore a long light blue Greek dress similar to Artemis' and had her blonde hair in hundreds of intricately arranged braids. Kronik had a bit of the Greek look to his clothes that you could barely see beneath all of the lights on him.

The 9th chariot had Annaleese, Blanche, and Ella. Annaleese was in an obnoxiously pink and poofy dress. Blanche was covered in light, leaving only his head seeable. What he was wearing was a mystery. Ella had a tulle, glittery white dress and a white headband rested in her brown hair.

Ember, Tempo, and Rouge followed after them. They all sort of matched. Tempo and Rouge both wore black jumpsuits. Tempo's had little gems that reflected the waning light, and Rouge's had little specks of light coming out of it. Ember wore a short black dress with large spots that light shone out of, and a black tiara as well.

The second to last group was Allyson, Colton, and Wilhelm. Allyson's dress was decorated with mockingjay feathers, even the huge train on it. Red flowers were twisted around her arms. Colton looked very uncomfortable in a sort of roman gladiator costume that showed off his arms, and much of his chest. Will's little suit was the same color as the feathers on Allyson's dress, and his tie was red and he had gold bands around his wrist the same color as the plate on Colton's chest.

At the very end came Krista, Everest and Dawson. Krista wore a large green dress covered with glitter and sequins. Everest seemed to be a map of the solar system, his dark suit covered with dots of light and glowing pictures of plants. Dawson was in a painfully neon tuxedo.

On that note, all of the tributes were gone. Into a building that they would train for their dooms.

**Keenan**

Rose yawned while I picked a few bits of clothes for her to wear to bed. I smiled at her. She smiled back.

While we were in the Games, Rose wouldn't die. Maybe I would, but Rose would never.

Her life meant so much more than my own, and looking into her large green eyes while she begged me for a bedtime story made that feeling even stronger.

**Bexter**

I held the halo of ribbons close to me. All 4 of my sisters had a green ribbon. They had each sacrificed theirs into my token. Raven was 8, Heidi was 7, Vermillion was 5, and Kitty was 4. My parents had named all of them, and I didn't necessarily agree with their names in many cases. This circle of ribbons was all I had of them here.

I never talked unless it was to them. I was never sweet or merciful unless to them.

I had lived on the streets since I was 11. Kitty had only been 6 months old. None of my sisters knew the luxuries other Capitol citizens did. Raven had been 4 when she had last had a meal that I hadn't stolen for her.

My parents may have died, but it felt as though we had been abandoned. I didn't want to have to be their mother.

I was determined to go home. For them. I would give them a real house, and real homemade food. Somewhere to go when it rained or snowed. A yard of their own to play in on sunny days. Clothes that fit them, and toys. A childhood.

**Cyra**

I was in my room, out of my chariot outfit and into a light lavender thing. I sat on my bed, just thinking with my head in my hands.

I heard the door open and didn't look up. When I finally did, I wished I would have earlier. In front of me was a face I hadn't seen in 5 years. Someone who was dead. Her blonde hair was too long, her eyes too sunken, but she was still her.

"Atara?" My sister nodded.

**I wanted an insight into a few tributes, just to end this otherwise shallow chapter. Training starts next. Um…not much to ask about this one. Oh well, tell me what you think about it anyway?**

**Faerie Pinches. **


	4. Training 1

**Training Day 1**

**Belladonna**

I needed a strong alliance, and I knew that. I wouldn't end. Not like Kyrie. Not like stupid Ali. So when Jinx extended an offer to become the new Careers, I accepted.

I wouldn't look at Snow. I wouldn't look at Snow. The little boy who was tying knots with a smile on his face would have to remain in the back of my mind, and allow the front to focus. Jinx was leading, observing the others.

We approached Elijah. He was throwing spears with astonishing strength and accuracy. It was almost scary. But it was also intriguing. Clearly Jinx thought the same thing.

"Will you be in an alliance with us? We're planning to band together the tributes who trained to defeat everyone else." Jinx said confidently. Elijah looked her up and down suspiciously before nodding slowly, never looking away from Jinx's eyes. Jinx slowly smiled and walked off, with me following behind her.

She then went up to Nike, who also agreed. Kronik was the one who asked us, and we told him we would be honored. Both Nike and Kronik were heavily trained, just like the 3 of us already in the alliance.

The 5 of us went us ant showed off. I had fun, anyway. Throwing knives and strategically slashing up some dummies. Hand-to-hand combat.

I would not think about Snow. I would not.

**Angel**

I saw Keenan helping out his sister and I smiled sadly at the tenderness my older brothers never showed me.

But clearly, Alex and Allen had done me some good as I knocked the instructor flat on his back. They taught me how to defend myself against pretty much any type of attack. I looked around. No one had seen me. Good.

If I looked mostly average the other would ignore me, at least until the Gamemakers sessions where I planned to shine.

So I ran my fingers through my tightly curled purple hair and went over to the plant section. Rose was very carefully slicing open a little red berry, her tongue slipping between her lips in concentration. When she sliced through the thin skin, purple juices flowed from it in excess.

"Those are dangerous." The plant instructor warned. Rose examined a chart. She picked up a blue berry, cut it open, and observed its blueish-purple juice before popping it into her mouth. She turned and smiled up at me.

"Bluberries." She said with a grin. Keenan was next to her, focusing quite a bit harder. He was peeling back different berry skins with his fingernails. Checking between the berries and chart, memorizing what he could eat.

Both of the siblings had the same green eyes, though Rose's were significantly wider and sweeter.

Keenan, noticing me standing behind him, said, "Did you want to hear about what we've learned? It might come in handy."

I smiled a bit and nodded carefully. Then I allowed him to lead me through the vital information I had missed.

**Rouge**

I tried my best to work on hand-to-hand and overall strength. I needed it, even though I was only 11.

I could find Tempo by looking for his long braid. He had told me about how his stylist had talked wistfully of chopping it off, but Tempo was too protective of it.

Tempo was listening as intently as Tempo could to a woman that seemed to be explaining different landscapes. Ember, the girl with red hair who was the other person in our group, walked over and sat next to him.

There was a sense of crushing responsibility I didn't usually feel, and I didn't like having. I was in charge of keeping Ember and Tempo alive by staying alive myself.

Wanting to make the feeling go away, I walked over to Tempo and Ember. The woman was explaining where to find food and water sources in several different types of places. She was on tundras. Ember leaned over and whispered that I'd missed forests and mountains.

After a few more minutes, tundras and deserts were covered. Ember walked over to me, ushering me towards an easel of pictures. There were a bunch of painted pictures of different types of places. I saw one of the older girl tributes with long white-ish hair staring at the paintings. I tried to ignore her.

The three of us split up again. I went to learn a weapon, knives, Tempo went to learn about poisons, and Ember went to swords.

**Dawson**

I liked it here. I used crocodile tears as often as possible, every time I pretended to mess up at something or be 'clumsy'. Making myself fall or mess up with unfamiliar weapons on purpose was difficult though.

People looked at me with sympathy. Good. That's what they should do. That's what I counted on them doing.

I observed mostly. Allyson, Colton, and Wilhelm were a strong banded group. So were all the families.

The 'Careers' were all strong and fierce. They would be threats. I didn't want to hurt them, though. I didn't want to hurt anyone. I just didn't want to get hurt.

Like Madison. I was only 5 though, and the fire wasn't my fault. It wasn't my fault. But she was only 1 year old…

I shook my head and tried to focus on the intricately done moves Ribbon used to climb.

**Cliff**

Brooke and Amber fully accepted me as an ally by then. Neither of them had my strength, but they had the agility I didn't have.

We made a good team.

Amber was trying new things and learning a little bit of everything, blushing at every compliment. So of course, I complemented her loudly to see her cheeks flush the same color as her hair.

Brooke followed her sister to the survival stations.

I went with them to many of the stations, but I was more interested in being a little bit of a showoff at the sword station.

Grinning at my alliances promising future, I went back to sparring.

**Almost exactly 1000 words. I've decided to stretch out the training over 3 chapters for once, because it's important to see alliances and skills of certain characters. Any favorites? Who do you want to hear from in training next chapter?**

**Glittery Flatulence. **


	5. Training 2

**2nd day of training **

**Allyson**

I wanted to paint. Yesterday, I had seen the easel full of pictures and I was so tempted to paint.

But I didn't.

Today, Will was teaching Colton and I. The knot-tying instructor hid his smile as Will skillfully tied complex knots or braided several ropes and Colton and I fumbled with the ropes. After a half hour of that, Colton and I were frustrated and Will was bored.

I went to knives. I need a smaller, lighter weapon to make up for my lack of overall strength. No swords or spears for me. Will had managed to drag Colton over to survival skills, most likely with his sweet blue eyes and pleading smile. They were both intently listening to a woman talk about ways to find food. They had almost twin looks in their eyes, even though the two looked so different.

I went to go sit next to them. Both boys smiled at me. The woman backtracked and summarized what she had already said. While she spoke, I felt fingers smoothing out my hair.

I turned slowly to see Will, who must have gotten bored, braiding my hair, just like he had done with the ropes earlier. His finger were short, but nimble.

I smiled at him and turned my attention back to the woman who had paused when my attention went elsewhere. Will soon finished the tight braid and then placed himself on my lap. Colton smiled at us, re-spiked his blue hair, and left to go train with weapons. Will and I spent another few hours learning how to forage and good ways to find food.

When we left and started heading to the poisons/toxins station, I asked Will why he could braid so well.

"My sisters have long hair." He said with a smile, looking up at me. The five year old boy grabbed my pale hand and we kept walking, arms swinging. I could just barely hear Colton's laughter from behind us.

**Tempo**

"I've gone to the berry station, the land station, I've done a little bit at the sword station, but I wasn't very good at it. Did I tell you Lucky Thirteen died a few days before the reaping? My goldfish? He was a good fish. Anyway, Ember is over at the sword station again, but someone went and mentioned Iris so now she's all dazed. Don't talk to her for a while, because remember? She did that on the train, too? Where are you going, by the way?"

Rouge was listening the whole time, and at the end he said, "You did mention Lucky Thirteen, right before the reaping, I remember Ember did that on the train because you had to yell in her ear to fix her, and I was going to go to the bow and arrow place, which you swore you would avoid until the Gamemaker sessions, so you should try something else."

I smiled. "Oh yeah. Thanks Rouge." He smiled back and waved before picking up a bow. I knew sort of how to use a bow. I'd gone into the training academy one, but I didn't really like it in there. The people looked mean, but at least I sort of learned how to shoot.

I decided to go over to the spears, and see if I could throw one. A girl next to me, Annalee or something, was horrible at it. Her wrist was bent weird, and her face was screwed up all gross looking. The spear fell just a few feet away from her and I couldn't help but laugh a little bit while I threw mine, just a little bit short.

Annalee looked at me like she was really mad and then she sort of stomped off.

Touchy.

**Ella**

Blanche had told me I should learn about poisons and things like that. But today he said I needed to know berries and where to find food for us when we were in the arena.

I knew he was a fancy doctor, so I did what he said.

I wasn't very good at it though.

So I snuck away from berries after eating a strawberry and went over to the camouflage place. I liked it over there. A tall girl with white-blond hair was painting with pretty color on her palm, showing a boy about my age. Both of them smiled, but when the girl saw me, she hid away her hand. I just shrugged and starting painting on my own arm.

I used colors I was pretty sure I wouldn't need. Unless the arena was purple, pink, and blue, then I would blend right in.

I didn't even care when Blanche's paper colored eyes looked over my arm angrily.

I was happy.

**Artemis**

By the end of the second day, I was getting good.

I hadn't said more than three words to any one person, and they seemed to be ignoring me, even while I got better and better. A pair of daggers were in my hands every minute, and I threw them quickly one after the other and they landed in the rings outside of the center of the target. I was so tempted to steal a knife. But I wouldn't let my kleptomania win this time.

Cyra, who would soon be my lifeline, didn't know I watched her. She seemed like she had been in a daze during the training while she sorted out berries and plants. Every now and then she would reach up and touch her tongue, like she was afraid it wouldn't be there.

I already knew my edible organics, so I didn't have any need to join her. Knowing where to find food and make shelter seemed useful though.

I sat patiently while some man explained different ways to make shelters with different materials.

A giggly, dim-witted girl sat next to me. Her name was Shine if I remembered right. Her pink eyes didn't seem to be focusing on the things the man was demonstrating.

She wouldn't last too long. Maybe, with one more day, I could at least outlast that idiot.

**What did you think? Pretty much the same length as yesterday's, but less POV's. I just went with what people requested so who do want to hear from on the last day? Any current favorites? Anything surprise you?**

**Once again, no idea how to end this.**

**Penguin Slippers **


	6. Training 3

**Snow**

I hadn't seen Autumn yet. Summer had told me something about 'infection', and 'too late', and to tell others that he 'had too much infection in the first games' but I didn't know what that meant. He had left for here though, so he should still be here, right?

That girl who I'd rode the train with kept looking at me. I didn't care. Maybe she'd play with me. I wondered if she knew chess, or if she liked tops.

I had already argued with the person who was teaching other people about certain weapons. She had said that weapons were more important than playing games, but she was stupid.

I had hoped the girl who rode the train with me would stay with me when we went into the arena, but she was with other people. With the boy who had been on the train. I guessed that was okay. Maybe she's be with me later.

I smiled, spinning my top again, and ate another raspberry.

**Bexter**

I wasn't sure if anyone knew I existed. That was perfect. That was exactly I wanted.

Something deep within me in was pulled painfully every time I saw Rose look up at Keenan expectantly, like Kitty does to me. When Amber gave Brooke the same look Heidi gave me. They had their sisters, Keenan and Brooke, while mine wasted away on the streets,

Now, I was a master at knot tying, the hidden part of the rock wall, natural formations. Things people ignored in favor of weapons and speed training. I was already stealthy and quick, so I didn't need that. And I didn't need an alliance. I would get home myself.

But looking at Audriaunna, my resolve wanted to waver. She was Raven's age…but I had to go home. She could survive if she was able to. My one-legged small tribute Jonah wouldn't last one night, and I knew it.

So I had to know where to find food and how to check for poisons, but only when no one else was around.

**Kronik**

Krista joined us yesterday. She was trained, though annoying. Elijah looked aready to kill her. Then again, he looked at every one like that.

I lifted weights and worked with knives. I proved to them that I was worth having. But I wasn't the best.

Krista threw knives and smiled often, flirting with me and Nike.

Nike showed off his impressive strength and his sword and knife skills.

Belladonna was agile and a good fighter, and also went over survival skills.

And Elijah was all fierce muscle.

Elijah sort of freaked me out. Nike too. Either way, I was glad I was were I was in this position, even with my constantly horrible luck that allowed me to be there.

**Everest**

Even though I wasn't in a forest, my arm looked as though it belonged there.

With my arms decorated in green and brown, and climbed the rock wall, over and over, because I found it fun.

Survival skills were easy for me. I had good memorization, and the ideas of toxins interested me.

I felt like seeing if I could get an alliance to get myself farther but then went against it. I didn't need an alliance, and at this point it would be very shaky. So instead, I kept to myself and thought.

At the Cornucopia, get something inconsequential and run. Find somewhere to go.

Win the Games.

**Nathanial **

I was good. Swords fit easily into my hands, and I quickly memorized fire starting, foraging, and food preparation.

My beautiful girlfriend Pristine would smile with joy when she saw my score tomorrow.

I didn't know how to swim, and I couldn't climb, but I still had advantages. I could fight very well and run quickly. I knew I might win.

I didn't have an alliance, but I didn't find anyone who I wanted to be in an alliance with other than the Careers, who were very clearly not accepting new members. Last year, after all, the Careers accepted Islianna n the last day and she ended up killing two of them.

The kids stilled seemed clueless. I knew much more than them, so I sort of wanted to help. But I had to survive, too. I couldn't have a kid weighing me down.

**Cyra **

Atala was alive. Knowing that, I had been in a daze all three days of training. But she wasn't who she was before she got hurt. Something was missing.

Her tongue. My sister was an Avox.

I tried to focus on my training. I remembered a lot of the berries that were safe to eat, and I promised to myself only to eat those. I tried to learn how to fight, but I was too small for it too be really effective. I was okay with knives at close range.

I found that I was good at running and climbing, so at least I could escape.

An Avox. My sister was an Avox. Never to comfort anyone with her sparing words ever again. Never to be my real sister ever again.

And Jinx is the one who didn't save her.

**Many short POV's. I hope you don't mind! Next will be the Gamemaker sessions, and after that…the Games!**

**Who is your favorite character? I realize that a few people have been out of the spotlight, mostly the people destined for bloodbath, but either way. How is your character doing by your opinion?**

**I guess…review?**

**Parsnip Intimacy. **


	7. Bloodbath

**I decided to start the Games now. Here you go…the bloodbath.**

**3rd Person**

The tributes were in a huge ring around an almost empty Cornucopia. All it had were weapons and very little of anything else.

They were in someplace cold and dusted with frost and snow. It was very bright, and it took at least 30 of the 60 seconds for their eyes to adjust.

They wore a down brown coat, light gray warm pants, thin socks, and running shoes. Under their coats that stuck out among the snow were light t-shirts, leaving them an option. Stick out in a darker color, or freeze in safety.

This was it.

This was the end. The end of anything making sense.

They weren't ready. Even those who were trained weren't ready. 20 seconds before your life span began impossible to predict. It was a feeling none were ready for.

20, 19, 18.

A few looked around, meeting eyes with their allies and getting ready to bolt. Getting ready to run as far away as they could. Hoping there was something beyond the snow and dead frost covered trees.

10, 9, 8.

Not ready.

7, 6, 5.

There will be blood.

5, 4, 3.

There's children here.

2, 1.

Hell broke out of its confines and became that place they stood. A frozen, icy hell.

Corpses were appearing.

Jinx grabbed a sword and the 11 year old boy, Lancer, found himself headless. Death number 1.

Annaleese screamed at a high, annoying pitch. Elijah, fed up with the noise, sliced at her mouth and then at her heart, leaving her a bloody mess. Death number 2.

Ember and her trio found Atticus lurking in the shadows. Ember swung. Death number 3.

Artemis got her leg slashed badly by Cliff's blade. She ran as fast as she could with blood pouring down her ankle. Surprisingly, Cyra ran with her supporting her as much as the little girl could.

Jonah, who hobbled hopelessly near where he'd been lifted at, was crying. Belladonna swallowed hard, closed her eyes, and let her knife slice the air…and the little boy. Death number 4.

Everest, who had been just about to leave, found Shine looking around at the trees. She wasn't doing anything, and she wasn't going to make it out of there anywhere. Everest let go of a knife so he didn't feel her bones snap beneath it. Death number 5.

Shura tried to get Ribbon, forgetting or ignoring Ribbon's high score and mental disorder. Ribbon saw the blade coming for her and her face hardened with rage. Her eyes burned and she charged at Shura screaming. Shura's head was almost ripped from her shoulder's in a horrifying display. Ribbon then ran off, horrified at herself. Death number 6.

Six dead right out of the gates. The Careers were staying by the Cornucopia and picking through the remaining weapons.

Ember with her sword, Tempo who was weaponless, and Rouge with one very small knife, wandered through a part of the arena with dense trees before deciding to stay there for a while.

Allyson held a medium size knife while Will held onto to Colton's back, clinging to him. Colton clutched an empty bottle. While they wanted somewhere to stay, they kept walking, hoping for somewhere, anywhere, better than where they were.

Keenan had Rose by the hand. Rose was still covering her eyes, not wanting to see. Angel was behind them with a large white blanket, letting Rose be comforted by her brother.

Cliff was walking with Amber and Brooke, with no real goal in mind. Cliff had one knife, and Amber had picked up a mace she knew she would have difficulty using.

Loners drifted around, walking or running or climbing trees.

Miles and miles and miles away, people were holding each other closely. Peeta held Katniss who stared in anticipation. Gale held Posy who quivered in fear. Isaac awkwardly held Seraphin who cried at the notion that her child would grow up in this world.

Back at the Capitol, friends, lovers, sister, brothers, all held each other closely as they saw the people they loved die. Shura, Shine, Jonah, Atticus, Lancer, and Annaleese all had people who cared about them. No matter how dim witted or hopeless they seemed.

That's what family is. That's what friendship is. That's what love is. That's what people in charge were slowly forgetting, slowly letting leave their thoughts.

And that is how the world got this way.

**Okay, the last few sentences had nothing to do with the bloodbath…but I like them anyhow. This is short and very quick and bloody. I know I didn't cover everyone, but we'll be catching up with them next chapter. **

**I know, I know, my last 2 had Pre-Game night, but I was antsy, and I have the author power. Take that. **

**The younger kids who died and the people who won't be getting supplies because of it are as follows. **

**Shura- Nathanial, Ribbon (who is the one who killed her)**

**Lancer- Kile, Jinx **

**Jonah- Elijah, Bexter **

**Questions. Who will die next? What alliance will be made and what alliance will fall apart, if any? How long do you think these games will even last? **

**Random Rainbows. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Nike**

4 of us Careers were given gifts for staying alive, Elijah and Jinx saw their younger assignments killed. I didn't doubt that we'd stay alive. We were all strong, and we were all talented.

Or at least most of us. Krista walked by with a smile, gripping a sword. Almost all of us.

Belladonna seemed a bit down. She was focused at guarding, but her eyes were on the ground. I decided to let it go and focus on something more important. Attendance.

Belladonna was guarding the perimeter of the Cornucopia area. Krista was talking to Jinx. Jinx was extremely annoyed, and I didn't blame her. Krista was the most arrogant person I had ever met, with the least reason.

Kronik was going over our supplies. All of our food, and all the weapons in the Cornucopia that other tributes didn't get. So about 20 or 25 weapons. Elijah was glaring at nothing and clearly getting antsy.

"We should go and hunt." Elijah said suddenly.

"There probably isn't anything in this arena. No animals would live here that aren't mutts." Jinx told him, still annoyed. I sort of grinned. Elijah didn't seem to like her answer.

"Not that kind of hunting." Elijah said with a little bit of a smile. Hunting. For other people. It sounded like a wonderful idea.

Jinx warned us to not go then. Night was just falling, and everyone was most likely still wide awake. By daybreak, everyone would be tired. It would be so easy to strike. Elijah was excited.

So was I.

I wanted to go right at that moment, but I wouldn't. I would be good…for now.

Belladonna pointed at something in the distance. A small dark spot. Someone who had kept their dark sweatshirt, while we all wore white sweatshirts that we found in the Cornucopia, with 2 to spare.

It was a little boy, my little boy. Snow. His shaggy black hair blew all over his face in the cold wind, every now and then blowing over his large grey eyes. I wasn't going to kill him or turn him away, because him being alive would help keep me alive. Me and Belladonna.

So, as Belladonna whispered about who Snow the 7 year old was, I walked up to him.

"Would you like to be in our alliance?" I asked him carefully. I knew killing other younger tributes would do me good, but killing Snow would do me none.

Snow nodded very slowly. Belladonna walked up from behind me, took Snow by the hand, and led him to our small sort of camp, replacing his dark sweatshirt was a white one too large for him.

It was sort of suspicious, her motherly actions towards Snow. But I didn't care. It would keep me alive, anyway.

**Ribbon**

I killed her. I killed her. She was dead. Dead. Dead.

Sure, she tried to kill me, but that didn't matter. I really killed her. It was horrifying. Shura's head almost came off of her shoulders, all because of my hands. That was wrong.

Alex had taken over me for only a minute while I did it. Now I was back to plain old Ribbon, who didn't want to remember Shura's mutilated body. Who didn't like the idea of killing. Alex didn't agree.

Alex liked the rush. Liked the feeling of revenge. Ribbon didn't understand why Alex thought it was revenge for being in the Mental Hospital for years. It wasn't little Shura's fault.

Part of me, the part of Alex still in a little bit of my mind, was thinking of how I didn't get as many rewards as I could. Only 2, not 3 And I wouldn't get any more.

I could feel something like fingers of ice crawling down my back. It was probably just the snow, but what if it wasn't? What if the Gamemakers were doing something? Were they freezing me?

Was I dying?

Why was this happening? What was going on? I felt tears of panic roll down my cheeks. What was happening?

I ran my hand over my back and felt torn fabric. That was why my back was cold. But why was it torn? Was someone attacking me?

Why were they doing that? Did I make them mad? I didn't want to make anyone mad. Why was someone angry?

I looked around, my hair whipping around my face. No one was around. Nothing was there. Nothing. No one. I was alone. Isolated. I was completely separate form everything. No one was hurting me.

10 minutes or so later, I realized I had lapsed into my Jemma persona. I wanted to be Ribbon. I wanted so badly to be Ribbon. I didn't want to be Alex, or Jemma, or anyone else that mind created for me. I didn't want to be anyone but myself.

Looking at the knife in my hands, seeing the bloodstains on it, I realized it wasn't possible. I was Ribbon. And Ribbon was Jemma and Alex, but also herself.

I saw something on the ground, a circle where there was no was snow, and the dirt dipped down. I didn't touch it. I didn't want anything to do with it. I just kept walking. This arena was so bland. A barren wasteland. The trees were tall, but they all cut of at the same point. The trees were sparing, too. Nothing was interesting so far.

I kept things under control for at least an hour or two. Slowly I transitioned into Jemma again paranoid and frightened at every noise and twitch and gust of wind. But I kept walking. I kept walking.

And I didn't plan on stopping.

**Audriaunna**

I felt very small. I was very small, but I felt much smaller than usual.

There was no direction to what I was doing. Eventually, I decided to climb up a tree. All I had was a sheath with 5 arrows, not even a bow to shoot them with. Not that I really wanted to shoot…but I would if I had to.

Up in the tree, I realized something. The twigs at the top were thin and unnaturally chopped at a very straight angle. Something wobbled in the air above them, like the air was tangible. I reached up, trying to feel it.

Something burned my fingertips. I recoiled quickly. I looked at my fingers to see that they were bright red. I decided right then not to reach up and tough it again.

I tried to settle into a branch. I didn't want to, but I remembered Auriel.

I had her curly brown hair, and I could see it on my shoulders. Auriel taught me how to climb trees. She was my sister, and I loved her. Someone had told me I wasn't as happy as I used to be now. Why should I be as happy, though? I missed her.

Something under my tree rumbled. I looked down to see the snow around the tree had melted, and the actual ground dipped lower than it had, like the start of a hole.

I carefully move into another tree and felt on the branches. If one of the branches was long enough and springy enough, I could start to make a bow. But nothing was there.

I fell asleep in the darkness, hoping the dark sweatshirt would help now.

**Cyra **

The night was almost over, and day was about to break over the white horizon. The night had been frozen. I almost fell a few times, but I couldn't fall. I had to keep Artemis up.

I don't know what I was thinking, other than that Artemis was in trouble. I was assigned to her, but it was my death that would affect her, not the other way around. But she looked so…strange. She was determined and then broken, in the same second. And then I was running towards her.

Artemis was still hurt, and if she wasn't so cold, she'd be sweating. She couldn't climb in a tree with me and I wasn't comfortable in the open.

I heard a lot of rustling, and I froze. It didn't sound careful enough to be someone who wanted to kill us.

I carefully lowered Artemis down. Then, suspiciously, I poked my head around a tree to see a very small person. She was way shorter than me, with long brown hair and huge brown eyes.

"Hello?" The girl had heard my movement, and was not trained well enough to know to run.

I didn't want to kill her. I was still so little, and she was even littler. So, tentatively, I said, "Hi."

She smiled at me and waved. Instead of approaching me or running away as fast as she could, she just smiled. The she looked around more, spinning and still smiling. I sort of smiled back at her and then retreated back into the trees. Artemis groaned a little bit and I saw her leg still bleeding.

Carefully, I took a handful of snow and brought it to her leg. She shivered and sighed at the contact. I tightly closed my eyes and thought. Artemis shouldn't move very much, and we needed medicine. Because six people died in the bloodbath, we each got three rations of food. Now we each had one match, a small bag of nuts, a little dish of berries, and a strip of beef jerky.

We hadn't eaten any yet, because I thought it would be best to save it. But when I saw the look of pain and fight in Artemis, I gave her 10 red berries. She reached out shakily and cupped the berries. Throwing her head back, she slowly chewed them.

A smile spread across her face, so I ate the other 10 berries that were in one dish. One dish was empty now.

I heard something heart breaking. A short, sharp scream. I pulled Artemis up from the snow and pulled her along with me, to get away from whatever caused it.

I knew what the scream was. That little voice that told me hi. She couldn't have been more than 6 or 7. She screamed again, high-pitched and horrible. It was long and warbling…until it was suddenly cut off.

I didn't want to see it. I didn't want to know. The cannon said everything.

Artemis was sort of hopping on one leg now, still leaning on me for support. I looked down in the waning light to see the snow on her ankle had turned bright red. Blood red.

As we walked my mind was full. Full of screams, gray sky, and blood red snow.

**Don't get mad. I have a reason for this being late. I'm aiming more for length and quality in my chapters. I know that my last two stories were completed within a month each, but this one might take a little bit longer so I can get more quality and length out to you. Every chapter between 1700-2000 words. This one was 1750. **

**Questions. Who specifically do you think will die next? Who will do the killing? What did you think of each of the perspectives this chapter? I'm trying to figure out exactly what you guys want to see from my stories, and what you find interesting from what I already have. **

**Deaths this chapter**

**Ella Dawson, who left Blanche with no rewards. Death number 7.**

**Thank you for reviewing. **

**Cyan Lenses. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Jinx**

Elijah was shown up after daybreak with blood on his sword. He told me about how the little girl he found lay headless in a hovercraft somewhere. She left someone without any reward.

One more death and we got more food.

So it was time to go and hunt.

Then someone brought up Snow. The little 7 year old that was dragged into our group to help keep us alive with Belladonna and Nike's rewards. Someone would have to stay back with him if he was going to stay back. And we were not going to risk him messing something up.

"Bella, you wanna stay with the kid?" Kronik asked. Belladonna glared at him, her dark eyes that helped gain her the nickname 'The Raven' in the Capitol turned to daggers.

"Do not call me Bella." Belladonna hissed. Kronik opened his mouth, ready to say something else before Belladonna interjected, "Or Donna. Just Belladonna. My whole name."

She sighed and composed herself. Then she looked into my eyes. "I'll stay with Snow. You guys go out and find someone. Belladonna spun her knife and kept holding onto it tightly. I picked up my sword and threw another one to Nike. He caught it smoothly and held it to his side.

Kronik and Elijah started to walk, and they each had a small pack that held berries and beef jerky, in case we couldn't get back in time. Nike followed them, and I followed him. Looking back, I saw Belladonna have Snow in her lap and looking at a toy top. Krista jogged happily after me.

I shook my head and kept walking. Hours passed and the Sun rose higher and higher. We saw no one in all that time.

Then, finally, Elijah seemed to perk up. His head moved just barely to the side and Nike glided silently to his side. I walked forward with my sword raised and ready for anything.

The boy who saw us and ran was unarmed. He had no pack or armor or pack. All he had was a few packets that held the food prizes. It was so easy.

We were so much faster. We were so much stronger. The boy was tall with dark hair and dark eyes. His name was Nate or something. And he never had a chance.

Kronik put his finger to his lips and pointed up into a tree. A little boy sat up in it. Krista giggled and ushered him down, putting her arm around him protectively.

"This one is mine." She said happily. I guess that meant we had to keep him. We all benefited from each other's food, so unless we got rid of Krista too, which I was not opposed too, we had to keep him for now. "His name is David."

"Dawson." The boy said unhappily, trying to get away from Krista. I didn't blame the kid.

We eventually got back to camp and Belladonna and Snow were playing a game of checkers by drawing in the snow. Belladonna immeidatly stopped when she saw us and asked about our mission. That's what we talked about then, completely ignoring Dawson or her strange relationship with Snow. And she promised to go with us later that day.

**Allyson**

It was getting colder in the arena. We tried to keep Will as warm as we could, Colton and I. His little shivers tugged on my heart. Colton seemed to care about him too and we both worked together to keep him safe.

Even after only around a day in the arena, I was so connected to both of them I couldn't see living without them. While the Sun was directly above us, Will was asleep. He had been up all night, whimpering and crying. Will told me he kept thinking of dying.

He shouldn't have to think of that. In those same breaths, he told me that it was 6th birthday the exact day of the bloodbath. No 6 year old should worry about their death.

Colton held onto the knife and I held onto to the little boy that clung to my back.

"Got any brothers?" Colton asked suddenly. I smiled and shook my head. He smiled back. "I only have one. My older brother Edison who left me and my parents as soon as he could."

"My parents aren't too special. My dad might be a little bit…supportive, but he means well." I told him. Then a question arose in my mind that made my blood go cold. "Got a girlfriend?"

He sort of laughed. "Not really. I have this friend, Ardis. We're really great friends, but I've always felt…more. You know? I think maybe, if I get out of here, I'll ask her out. She means a lot to me."

My heart sank. Part of me hoped he could maybe possibly be mine. But he couldn't. Even though they weren't dating they liked each other. Of course she liked him. How could she not? He was so happy and uplifting and energetic. Colton was perfect.

We kept walking. Silence had fallen over us. My finger itched to paint my feelings away and I had to fight it. I couldn't drop Will, and I had to keep my face still to keep it away from Colton. I had to happy for him.

Someone poked me sharply in the back. Colton was a few meters ahead of me then, so it wasn't him. It was Will. I turned my head. Something in his large blue eyes told me he had been listening. He poked me because he wanted me to know that he knew.

Will, as young as he was, seemed to understand me. He smiled sort of sadly and patted me softly on the head. I reached back and returned the favor, adding a tap to his nose. Will giggled and wriggled out my grasp.

Will ran to Colton and pulled on the older boy's hand. Colton picked him up and spun him in a short circle before setting him back down.

It was cute. It was almost family-like. They looked nothing alike, but both of them smiled with the same pure joy.

I wanted to cry. I didn't though. I didn't want to concern Will even more than he already was, and I didn't want to make Colton feel any sort of guilt. Crying would hurt them both so bad. Not only that, but the tears would freeze to my face.

So I held in my emotion and smiled with the boys. Maybe later I would confront him. Maybe I wouldn't.

**Blanche **

Ella was gone, so I lost my help. In this barren wasteland, I didn't have the proper materials. No poisons or healing salves. Nothing.

At least I could sort of keep myself clean with the snow instead of a dirty jungle. Because the flies, mosquitoes and general unseemliness in most arenas made my skin crawl. All I had was a very small dagger that I had hoped to use in some effective way.

But there was nothing effective to use it for.

And then I was running. A noise had made me alert, and the glint of knife made me bolt.

She had dark brown hair with red streaks in the front. Next to her was The Raven girl. Both of them were after me. After my blood. Even I cold explain to them why I was useful, they wouldn't listen. Why would they listen?

They were the strong ones.

My mom would miss me. Her special and smart and helpful son. Sometimes I doubted she loved me for anything other than the bright future I had.

Yes. A dismembered corpse was a great future for an aspiring doctor.

The girl with brown hair jumped onto my back and I fell hard to the ground. I didn't know which girl had her knife to the back of my neck, slowly dragging it over my flesh.

I could feel the blood, sticky and warm, over my skin. There was no hellish laughter, but it seemed like there should have been. In my mind, there was. Devilish, cackling laughter that rang through my ears as they stabbed directly through my neck.

After only a second, my heart stopped.

**Ember **

Tempo was chattering nonstop. Rouge smiled at him maturely. He was the adult in the pair of them. He was practically the adult in the trio of us. He was so mature and so used to dealing with this childish teenager.

I couldn't help but smile at both of them. Their roles were so reversed it was comical.

We were walking along. Each of us had gotten a little bit of rest during the day while the other two sat on watch, even though I didn't quite feel comfort with Tempo watching over me. It was so cold. All of us were hugging our sweatshirts to ourselves and wishing they were warmer.

Rouge put his finger up to Tempo's lips ad the older boy shut up. Finally.

Rouge ran his hand happily through his recently green streaked brown hair and smiled. His eyes were focused on something on the ground. I looked closely and saw a spot where there was no snow, and it was pitch black.

Rouge knelt down and put his hand over it, only to discover it was a hole. He looked down into it and smiled even wider.

"C'mon Tempo!" He said happily. Tempo rushed up and the two of them both jumped into the hole that must have had a 3 or 4 foot diameter. I started to panic. The two of them had just disappeared.

I looked down it hurriedly saying loudly, "Tempo? Rouge?". When I looked, I saw what made them jump down.

There was no snow. There were leaves and healthy trees. The ground had to be 20 feet below, but Tempo and Rouge were giggling and clearly still alive. And insane. And impulsive.

So I held my breath and tumbled after them.

When I hit the ground I didn't splatter, but instead I bounced. The ground was squishy and bouncy. It was completely disorienting.

All around me there was a jungle, and off to the side Tempo and Rouge were laughing and jumping around. They were both attempting flips and aerial acrobatics. It was very strange. I heard animals and a light breeze lifted my hair. It was beautiful.

Suddenly I was too warm and I followed in the boys footsteps and tied my sweatshirt around my shoulders like a cape. Tempo's braid was flying everywhere and they both had their arms above their heads.

Tempo's sword was laying off to the side, so I hopped over to his weapon and set my own next to it. Then I was back to the boys and flipped with them. For the next several minutes, we all danced and bounced around. We laughed and smiled wider than we had in days.

When we discovered the wide silver strip of land that wasn't like a trampoline it was almost disappointing, but also very helpful. Rouge walked over to me on the 20 foot wide strip of normal silver-colored ground and wrapped one of his arms around me, giving me my knife back.

Together we walked, every now and then going off and jumping on the trampoline bit.

**Seraphin**

I was crying. I didn't want to be crying.

Isaac sat next to me and Posy sat on his lap. I wrapped my hands around my stomach.

This little person was mine. This little person would go into these Games, I was sure. Very soon I would go into the doctor's and they would tell me if I had a Rigel or Chrysanthemum. And I wasn't sure I wanted to.

I was getting closer to Isaac but it wasn't serious. Yet. If it ever became serious, I would feel like I was betraying Rigel's memory. That was the worst thing I could ever do. Rigel was my everything. My true love, my soulmate.

But Isaac had gone through what I had gone through. He never cared if I went over to his house after a nightmare. Instead he would make me hot chocolate and just leave me be if I didn't want to talk. He understood.

Posy loved both of us. Gale was busy, doing something or another. I didn't pay attention when he said he would leave. So I just focused on some of the tributes in the games who made an impression on me.

Belladonna, the Raven, was interesting. She did seem truly determined to win, but also like something in her was clawing to be let out. Something buried. Something compassionate.

Allyson was now heartbroken even if she didn't want to show it. I could tell and I felt so sorry for her.

Keenan and Rose pulled on my heartstrings. They were so sweet, and Angel was slowly warming up to the siblings.

Elijah was terrifying. So brutally strong and murderous.

Posy had informed me she liked Tempo, Rouge, and Ember. I agreed that they were nice people.

Isaac seemed to like Cyra for her bravery and kindness.

It was almost petty, the way we viewed the tributes in our conversations. I had started to use short, choppy sentences so I didn't have to talk for very long. Every sentence could bring on an emotional breakdown, so I tread carefully.

I tread very carefully.

**Whoomp! There it is! So, I added a bit of Seraphin, because I thought you might enjoy it. Also, over 2000 words, and yes I am proud of myself. **

**Deaths this chapter-**

**Nathaniel Elmer**

**Blanche Clique **

**Also, Isaac and Blanche's creator, you messed me up by changing your username and I hope you're happy. **

**The questions this time are IMPORTANT! 1. Should I start using the Fate Hat or have you guys put in suggestions? 2. Because I'm still running on suggestions, who should die next? 3. Did anything shock you this chapter? 4. Should Seraphin's baby be a boy or a girl?  
**

**Please answer whichever ones you want. **

**Red Flashlights. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Snow**

I hadn't seen Autumn yet. Summer had told me something about 'infection', and 'too late', and to tell others that he 'had too much infection in the first games' but I didn't know what that meant. He had left for here though, so he should still be here, right?

That girl who I'd rode the train with kept looking at me. I didn't care. Maybe she'd play with me. I wondered if she knew chess, or if she liked tops.

I had already argued with the person who was teaching other people about certain weapons. She had said that weapons were more important than playing games, but she was stupid.

I had hoped the girl who rode the train with me would stay with me when we went into the arena, but she was with other people. With the boy who had been on the train. I guessed that was okay. Maybe she's be with me later.

I smiled, spinning my top again, and ate another raspberry.

**Bexter**

I wasn't sure if anyone knew I existed. That was perfect. That was exactly I wanted.

Something deep within me in was pulled painfully every time I saw Rose look up at Keenan expectantly, like Kitty does to me. When Amber gave Brooke the same look Heidi gave me. They had their sisters, Keenan and Brooke, while mine wasted away on the streets,

Now, I was a master at knot tying, the hidden part of the rock wall, natural formations. Things people ignored in favor of weapons and speed training. I was already stealthy and quick, so I didn't need that. And I didn't need an alliance. I would get home myself.

But looking at Audriaunna, my resolve wanted to waver. She was Raven's age…but I had to go home. She could survive if she was able to. My one-legged small tribute Jonah wouldn't last one night, and I knew it.

So I had to know where to find food and how to check for poisons, but only when no one else was around.

**Kronik**

Krista joined us yesterday. She was trained, though annoying. Elijah looked aready to kill her. Then again, he looked at every one like that.

I lifted weights and worked with knives. I proved to them that I was worth having. But I wasn't the best.

Krista threw knives and smiled often, flirting with me and Nike.

Nike showed off his impressive strength and his sword and knife skills.

Belladonna was agile and a good fighter, and also went over survival skills.

And Elijah was all fierce muscle.

Elijah sort of freaked me out. Nike too. Either way, I was glad I was were I was in this position, even with my constantly horrible luck that allowed me to be there.

**Everest**

Even though I wasn't in a forest, my arm looked as though it belonged there.

With my arms decorated in green and brown, and climbed the rock wall, over and over, because I found it fun.

Survival skills were easy for me. I had good memorization, and the ideas of toxins interested me.

I felt like seeing if I could get an alliance to get myself farther but then went against it. I didn't need an alliance, and at this point it would be very shaky. So instead, I kept to myself and thought.

At the Cornucopia, get something inconsequential and run. Find somewhere to go.

Win the Games.

**Nathanial **

I was good. Swords fit easily into my hands, and I quickly memorized fire starting, foraging, and food preparation.

My beautiful girlfriend Pristine would smile with joy when she saw my score tomorrow.

I didn't know how to swim, and I couldn't climb, but I still had advantages. I could fight very well and run quickly. I knew I might win.

I didn't have an alliance, but I didn't find anyone who I wanted to be in an alliance with other than the Careers, who were very clearly not accepting new members. Last year, after all, the Careers accepted Islianna n the last day and she ended up killing two of them.

The kids stilled seemed clueless. I knew much more than them, so I sort of wanted to help. But I had to survive, too. I couldn't have a kid weighing me down.

**Cyra **

Atala was alive. Knowing that, I had been in a daze all three days of training. But she wasn't who she was before she got hurt. Something was missing.

Her tongue. My sister was an Avox.

I tried to focus on my training. I remembered a lot of the berries that were safe to eat, and I promised to myself only to eat those. I tried to learn how to fight, but I was too small for it too be really effective. I was okay with knives at close range.

I found that I was good at running and climbing, so at least I could escape.

An Avox. My sister was an Avox. Never to comfort anyone with her sparing words ever again. Never to be my real sister ever again.

And Jinx is the one who didn't save her.

**Many short POV's. I hope you don't mind! Next will be the Gamemaker sessions, and after that…the Games!**

**Who is your favorite character? I realize that a few people have been out of the spotlight, mostly the people destined for bloodbath, but either way. How is your character doing by your opinion?**

**I guess…review?**

**Parsnip Intimacy. **


	11. Chapter 11

**People wondered how many tributes were left, and here's your answer. 11 dead, so 25 left in the arena. That's not enough, so it's going to be fixed very soon.**

**Artemis**

We were both freezing. Cyra and I. We shivered and shook and huddled together. We did get some food but didn't really fill ourselves with it. It wasn't enough. Cyra and I figured out 11 people were already dead.

We weren't any closer to getting out of this snowy hell.

I itched for something to do. I had begged a story out of Cyra to find myself horrified at the tale. Her sister had stood up to the authorities and was shot. She was taken away and thought to be dead. Cyra's sister was Atara. Atara was Jinx's best friend and Jinx didn't save her from the gunfire.

But Atara wasn't dead. She became an Avox.

I tried to tell Cyra that it wasn't even Jinx's fault, but the deep-seeded hate in the younger girl wouldn't be removed.

The blood continued to ooze from my ankle every time it moved. Even though I wanted to, I knew I wouldn't get out. Cyra was my only ally and I was slowly freezing and bleeding to death. My blue hair was tangled beyond my repair and I could feel my ribs poking through my undershirt.

I felt so weak. So horrible. My blood was ice and was nerves were frozen over. My stomach was eating itself and the snow kept changing colors. Cyra hand ran steadily up and down my face carefully and thoughtfully. She was on autopilot trying to comfort me.

Someone was coming toward us. My instincts told me to run, to flee this place because I had no way to fight. But I had no way to flee either. I couldn't move. All I could do was sit and wait to die. Cyra managed to stir a little bit, to almost stand up and shakily brush off the snow from her pants.

She looked so pitiful that I wished I could stand and help her. But I couldn't stand. I couldn't stand and I felt so useless. Cyra, who was so bold and stubborn when I met her, was reduced to a bag of bones who clung uselessly to life.

The person who reached us was 16 with dark brown hair and a smile that belonged on the face of the Devil. But when she caught the sunken blue eyes of Cyra the Devil's Smile collapsed. It was Jinx, who still thought she killed Atara.

But she wasn't going to be merciful.

Jinx spun a knife and shut her eyes tightly. And the knife flew. It hit Cyra, the 10 year old girl who managed to stand in this moment. Squarely in the chest. Mentally, I cried for her. I was sobbing and screaming. I couldn't do that outwardly though. When I heard Cyra's cannon and felt the vibrations, my face did nothing but stare at the blood flowing from her heart, so much like my ankle.

I turned to Jinx and locked my gaze into her dark green one. She looked healthier and more prepared than I was, but I still had to tell her something.

At first, it was only a hoarse whisper that passed my lips. Jinx didn't respond so I said it again.

"Atara is an Avox. You didn't kill her." Jinx thought I was lying to her, I was sure. Because her nostrils flamed and her glare hardened. I weakly noticed a flash of silver, a pressure in my chest, and then nothing.

**Dawson**

Snow was too quiet. I was quiet, but Snow was too quiet. So I stopped trying to talk to him. Whatever.

Jinx got back from hunting after two cannons. Her knives were coated with blood and she started to clean them in the snow.

"Nike's gone. Now what?" Belladonna asked quietly. Elijah snorted.

"We keep going. Are you gonna quit just because one of us were stupid?" He asked. I rolled my eyes, and so did Jinx and Krista. Snow and Belladonna looked slightly offended though, and Kronik looked just as bored as usual.

"He was stupid anyway. He wasn't even cute," Krista babbled in a tone that said she should be chewing gum and wearing pink. "I think we're better off without him."

"I think we're better off without you." Kronik mocked. Krista looked offended and I giggled. What? It was funny.

"Hey Krista," Belladonna said getting close to her. "I think we're kicking you out of the alliance. Okay? We're not allied with you."

"Why?" Krista whined like a little kid. Jinx got into her face now.

"You're annoying, and you're not useful in any way."

Elijah decided to step up too. "You insult us and you haven't even gotten a kill yet."

Kronik grinned and joined them. "None of us like having you here." Belladonna smiled then, looking at the others for reassurance. When they all nodded she pulled Krista's sword away from her. Once again, she looked around for confirmation.

Then the Raven put the sword through Krista. It was horrifying. Utterly terrible and repulsive. Blood practically squirted out of her. Her mouth was opened into an 'O' and her eyes were wide with betrayal and shock. The cannon shook the ground almost immediately.

Elijah turned to me and tossed a knife without even caring. It hit me. Of course it hit me. Elijah was an excellent shot.

The knife hit me in the stomach. It was lodged deeply and I had maybe a minute. A minute to think.

It's hard to think when you're panicking and dying and bleeding everywhere. When the only person your age around your age where you're dying turns away from the disgusting mess you've become. When your killer smiles and says, "We didn't need him anymore with her gone." When the happiest of thes group, the youngest of the teenagers, looks sad. When the most ferocious one is glaring at another corpse. When a Raven leans over you and slices at your neck to end your suffering before it can get too bad.

Boom.

**Colton**

Allyson was broken. Utterly broken.

She came back to our base sobbing. She practically clung to me, her tears soaking my shoulder. Even when I tried to pull her away and ask what was wrong she didn't get off. Her hair was a lot shorter, with a much rougher cut to it.

It was starting to get uncomfortable when Will walked up behind me, jumped onto my back, and then put a hand on Allyson's shoulder. Allyson looked up and her bloodshot blue eyes met Will's large ones.

That's when she could calm down and explain that she had killed Nike. Will kept a hand on her and his eyes trained on her. Instead of talking like he normally would, he didn't say anything.

Allyson had left me fix her hair and make the edge straighter. Then Will took it and braided it back tightly to get it out of her face. She let us take care of her. She was broken.

The Sun was up but she fell asleep. Will sighed and curled up next to her, falling asleep with her. It was cute. They looked like brother and sister with their blond hair and pale complexions. I didn't fit, but that didn't matter.

I sat next to them and guarded looking at the blood that coated our knife. Hours passed and the sky's single shade darkened very slowly. It reminded me of Ardis, when she would sit next to me at night and we would talk and watch the stars pass. No stars here. No clouds either.

Ardis was amazing. She was determined and strong. My token was the necklace I gave her with a charm shaped like a flame to represent her fire. She wanted me to know I had that fire too. But she had so much more.

I heard whimpers, and I found their source quickly. The girl curled up on the bouncy ground was crying in her sleep. Whines escaped her lips and her eyes were shut too tightly for comfort.

I sighed just like Will had done before he fell asleep. Then leaned down and looked into Allyson's face. There was a sheen of sweat on her face and she looked like she was in pain. It hurt me to see her like that. She never wanted to hurt anyone.

Very carefully, I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. I stuck out my hand and swept away a tear off of her cheek. Allyson sighed and her face settled into something more relaxed.

I brushed my fingers though Will's hair and then stood back up. I grasped the flame pendant and looked up into the blank sky. I wanted to go home, but not if I couldn't bring Allyson and Will with me.

**Ribbon**

It started to rain in the weird jungle I found myself in. The rain sizzled when it hit my skin. It didn't leave a mark, but it was very warm. I didn't like it, and I felt discomfort slowly eat away at my conscience.

Something clouded my thoughts and I froze for a minute. Then I decided to go out and find someone to kill. I needed more kills. I needed to see the blood.

So I began walking, looking carefully at the trees. If anyone was in them, they wouldn't be for long. I grinned at the thought. The too-warm rain still battered my arms and back through the ripped shirt and made me even more determined to find someone. To hear a cannon ring because of my actions.

My purple hair was wet and annoying, getting in my eyes. So I took the knife in my hand and cut a few inches off. Now it just brushed my shoulder and wasn't any less annoying, but cutting it made me feel a little bit better.

Of course it wasn't enough. There was no blood. Yet.

Someone was laughing. I heard incessant talking. It was a boy, and he was slowly coming closer to me.

"Bye!" He shouted and he was in my line of sight. His hair was long and tied into a braid, and he must have been a year or two younger than me. Whoever he was, he looked very childish and bright.

I couldn't wait to see blood run down his skin.

He turned and his brown eyes met my blue ones. I could feel a smile stretch across my face as a sank my knife into his throat. He barely had time to scream.

A girl yelled, "Tempo?" And a younger boy quickly yelled the same. Maybe I could get them too.

But I realized that was wishing too far when I saw that the girl, some person who died last games cousin, was armed. So I ran. I was forced to jump over snares and traps that appeared to be made of rubber.

I jumped and ran and eventually I heard sob and no one was chasing me anymore. Slowly, the smile slipped from my face as the rain retreated. It was pitch black in the arena by that time.

My thoughts took a quick turn. What had I done? I had just killed another person in a horrible fit. I hadn't eaten in days and that did not help the Alex persona.

His name was Tempo, and he was a person. With thoughts and dreams and hopes.

I turned my attention to the scars on my wrists and arms and began to dig my nails into them, wondering who I'd become.

**There was the very death filled chapter. **

**Deaths this chapter-**

**Cyra**

**Artemis **

**Krista**

**Dawson**

**Tempo**

**Also, I got my first flame! Celebration! To Jester, who I almost guarantee isn't reading this, I used the fire of your flame to make smores. And they were delicious. **

**I wanted a very deathly chapter. After 5 deaths in one chapter, the 4th day ends with 16 dead and 20 still alive. So…what are your opinions on all the dying? On who did the killing? **

**I would like to know how I could improve and what I'm doing well. At this point in my writing I want to get better and better. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Rose**

Angel was carrying me because Keenan got tired. Just a few hours ago, we fell through a hole and now we could jump around and it was warm. I liked it in the jungle. The trees were huge and the leaves were as big as my head. It was so pretty.

We were moving fast because we could bounce forward. I liked the dirt here, because it let Angel jump higher and we moved so quickly and I saw Keenan and Angel both smile.

I liked it when they smiled. It reminded me of home.

Angel stopped jumping suddenly. Keenan stopped with her. Angel was looking at a tree. Angel quickly bounded towards the tree. Behind it, a girl sat. Her head was in between her knees and a boy sat next to her.

The boy with green-streaked hair was crying. I guessed that the older girl with the red hair was too because her shoulders shook. I wiggled around in Angel's arm, because I had a question to ask and I really wanted to ask it.

When I hit the ground I bounced two feet back off the ground. From there I walked carefully over to the two people.

"Why are you crying?" I was pretty sure someone died, a lot of people had been dying, but I didn't know what that was like.

The girl looked up at me. It was Ember, that girl who knew that girl from last year. Ember reached out and grabbed my hand gently. It felt nice.

"Because someone I was very good friends with was killed." Ember said quietly. The boy with her seemed to get mad.

"And we didn't get back at the killer. The murderer." He said bitterly. I furrowed my eyebrows, why would you want to 'get back' at anyone? Did he mean kill them? You shouldn't kill people…killing people is wrong.

I looked up at Keenan, confused, and Keenan just looked sad. So did Angel. I jumped away from Ember and the boy and went back to Keenan.

Angel kneeled next to them. "Ember, would you like to be in an alliance with us? You and Rouge both?" Ember looked up surprised.

She waited a minute and then nodded slowly. I smiled. I had more friends! More people I didn't have to see die! I ran over and hugged Ember. Then the boy Angel called Rouge.

I smiled at them both, happy with my new friends.

**Everest **

I had been traveling through trees. The kid I was tied to died yesterday so I was on my own.

No weapons, no food. I had held back that Nike guy with a nerve pinch so I could get away from him. It was the best thing I could do.

My hair was growing out from its buzz cut and it was getting annoying. So I took a sharp stick and sawed away at it.

At the tops of the trees, I could see a lot of the arena. The tall trees and the large, over-bright green leaves. I found a few tributes walking around but I couldn't go after them without a weapon. Most of them didn't even know I existed.

Which was fine. They wouldn't hunt me down and if they didn't know I was there. I was the person that, when they tried to remember who was still alive, they wouldn't remember.

In all honesty, I was getting bored. I was sleeping a lot and when I wasn't sleeping I had fun with the trees.

When you went to the top of a side branch, it would bend to the point where it would almost touched the ground. On the way down, you could grab the branch of the next tree and it would bend with you. Then shimmying across was simple. At least it gave me something to do.

I was hoping for a weapon, knowing I wouldn't get one. I hid all through training and interviews, so I didn't have any sponsors.

No sponsors, no weapons. No food either. I wasn't hungry yet but I knew I would be soon.

Maybe a weapon would get me food, or maybe I would have to get one on my own. Maybe I could just stay in the trees. Why not? I liked it there.

**Belladonna**

Snow asked if I would spin his top. He handed the little striped top to me and I carefully spun it on the dirt. He smiled when he saw it twirl and put it back in his white sweatshirt pocket when it tipped.

Then he bolted back to where he was before asking me the question. Into the empty Cornucopia. It was his chief haunt.

Jinx looked at me strangely. Kronik and Elijah seemed to be suspicious of me and Snow either. But I was helpful and not annoying to them so they wouldn't kill me or Snow.

Elijah was pacing back and forth, back and forth. I wanted to scream at him. I would have screamed at him, but he had a sword at his side and I knew better than to get on his bad side.

Kronik came and sat next to me. He didn't say anything, he didn't do anything. He just sat. Looking at him, I saw that he was smiling at me.

"What are you doing?" I asked him. It was creeping me out.

Kronik shook his head and kept smiling. But he finally looked away.

Jinx was facing away from the rest of us, staring into the trees. Her hair was picked up by the gentle wind and it made her look dramatic.

Snow appeared next to my shoulder. "Look," He said hoarsely. His pale hand was outstretched to point at a crack snaking its way through the dirt. Heading right for Jinx.

A hole opened right under her and she fell. A short scream escaped her as she plummeted. The four of us still on solid ground looking down the hole, where we saw Jinx bouncing and laughing. Kronik grinned and jumped in after her.

He laughed loudly and started bouncing too. Snow smiled and somersaulted through the air. I thought, _Why the hell not?_, and went after them.

It was like a trampoline. Snow was jumping high and flipping around, a larger smile on his face than I'd ever seen him have. Elijah landed with us, and a hard look was on his face. Elijah was not happy with our antics.

We all stopped and held just a hard smile to keep him under wraps. But we all knew that was the most fun we'd had in days.

**Audriaunna **

Bex was nice. She gave me a bandage, but I knew that it wasn't really enough. I remembered seeing Auriel die and thinking it was the worst thing I had ever seen.

I still thought that was the worst. It was the worst thing I had ever felt too.

Even now. I was so cold, and I was hungry. The food I received wasn't enough. I was still bleeding too. The cut the boy had given me was really big.

Bex told me about her sisters. They seemed nice too.

I asked her to tell me stories, and she always said she couldn't. Bex said she didn't have any stories to tell. I didn't believe that, but I didn't make her tell me a story. She didn't want to.

The edges of my vision went funny. Blurry and fuzzy and dark. Bex looked worried and she knelt over me. Snow clung to her black hair and red spots were on her cheeks.

She was pretty. I wanted to tell her that, but my mouth wouldn't open. I had been eating snow for water to keep myself alive. I felt the snow in my insides, making everything cold.

I didn't like that feeling, but I didn't know how to get rid of it.

I wanted to reach out and touch her face, to make her feel better. But my hand wouldn't move. I wanted to keep my eyes open, and I had to fight to keep them open.

Every time I blinked I saw more of the things I saw go black. Bex leaned over me.

Her voice was still quiet and raspy, but she would talk to me at least. "You don't have very long. I'll stay with you for a few more minutes, but I can't watch you die."

I knew I had less than a few minutes. I closed my eyes and tried to feel things. I tried to feel the snow clinging to _my_ hair and eyelashes. How pale I was getting. I tried to feel my slowing heartbeat.

Eventually I heard Bex say good bye and I heard snow crunch. Then she let out something like a squeak and I couldn't hear snow anymore.

There wasn't a cannon, so I didn't worry. At least, there wasn't a cannon yet. Someone was lighting the fuse to mine though. Icy fingers grabbed my heart and squeezed tightly. Colors burst behind my eyelids and part of my brain brought me Auriel's laughter.

And I felt myself smile.

**Katniss**

It had gotten boring and I had to fix it. Mutts would have to make appearances very soon. 5 days in, and still so many left to die.

Everyone went into the jumping jungle so there would finally be more carnage and more blood. Maybe torture. Gale was angry at me for making the rain happen over Ribbon and exploiting her mental disability. Her angry personality was the best way to cause another death, though, and it worked well.

I curled against Peeta, watching the arena happily. He seemed to be zoning out, but I didn't care. It was a great career, being Head Gamemaker. I would have fun doing it for many more years.

**There. That was horrible for me to have to write. **

**Deaths this Chapter-**

**Audriaunna**

**Two chapters ago, I said I would respond to my favorite review and I didn't, so I gonna do one for the last chapter. It wasn't super constructive, but it made me smile so much. Uracow99 defended me against Jester the flamer. It made me grin because while I know people seem to like the stuff I spew through a keyboard at 10:30, hearing someone tell someone else that they shouldn't insult me because I'm brilliant makes me feel amazing. I didn't want to kill Audriaunna, but I had to. It made sense and the rest of this chapter was pointless and needed an emotional part. Also, uracow99, you can definitely have a smore. **

**Jester reviewed again, and I do have one thing to say. Thank you for reading and giving me a better flame, do you know how hard it was to make smores on such a weak flame? And about your poem, I didn't know you wrote stories, you should link me to your account. **

**I realize I shouldn't respond to Jester…but it's too much fun. **

**Sorry for the less-than-wonderful chapter, I wasn't very inspired today bt I wanted to get a chapter out to you. **

**Omnipotent Bacon. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Keenan**

Ember and Rouge were upset and still crying. Rouge and Tempo had been best friends, but Tempo was attacked by the girl with a mental disorder, Ribbon. Ember was becoming good friends with him, too.

I imagined losing Angel at this point and I realized what they were going through. Angel was my friend.

Rose was talking to Rouge with an eager expression, bouncing up and down on the trampoline-like ground. She was smiling and Rouge was giving her a sad smile in return. It was sort of cute.

Ember was combing her fingers through Angel's hair to try and distract herself. Twin braids made their way into Angel's hair.

I sat back and watched them. It was amazing how our appearance was starting to knit them back together.

A hiss split the air. It was high pitched and horrible. It was drawn out and it kept going and going, ringing through my ears.

Rose screamed, Rouge screamed, Ember screamed, Angel screamed, and I screamed too. We all ran and kept looking behind us.

Behind us were large cats of a sort. They had huge teeth, fangs really, and thick blonde coats. I'd seen black and white pictures that resembled something like these large cats. Saber-toothed tigers. And these tigers were out for blood. Not only were they fierce, they worked well with the way they bounced.

A little girl, not Rose, was screaming near us. Looking to my right I saw a girl just a little bit older than me and a boy in front of her carrying a younger girl. I quickly realized I wasn't the slowest one in my group. Rose was.

The slowest one in a group would not make it very far. I panicked. Rose wasn't going to make it if she kept it up like this. So I fell back to where Rose was and picked her up. "Angel!" Angel turned and I threw Rose. Angel delicately caught Rose, turned, and kept running. I had to save Rose. She would live, even if I couldn't.

Even when I felt claws tearing into my back and teeth in my shoulder I didn't regret it. Rose shrieked in shock or pain. I heard my blooming pain in her voice.

2 more screams rang out. Both female. One sounded like Rose, young and scared, but the other sounded like an older girl reflecting all of my agony. The screams mingled with the growling and hissing of the cats. Another scream, a little girl with the same feeling of pain. An older boy cried out too.

Over and over, teeth ripped through my skin. It's hard to describe that feeling. If you were ever bitten by anything, magnify that pain by thousands and spread it all over your back.

I heard the screams and I heard the roars. But it all began to fade away and it sounded like I was underwater. The pain began to end and I was grateful.

I was grateful.

**Cliff**

Both of them were mounds of bloody hamburger when I last saw them. I couldn't bear to see their remains eaten so I kept going. Brooke went first, and Amber couldn't keep up with me.

When I heard Brooke scream I wanted to stop. But I didn't stop. I wouldn't sacrifice myself for them. Even though I had seen them have loving moments and I knew they were close I wasn't going to go back for them. They were goners.

I was suddenly alone. I was walking as normal as possible on the springy ground.

As I walked, I came across a tree branch that was a little bit broken. On one twig, one or two feet of blonde hair was knotted. I didn't know how it got there, and I didn't want to know.

I didn't think of Amber when the sky was the same shade as her eyes.

I didn't think of Brooke when the leaves were the same shade as _her_ eyes.

I didn't remember them when I heard a little kid giggled somewhere in the distance.

I definitely didn't remember them when I climbed into a tree and laid back. I forgot them. Brooke's beautiful eyes, Amber's sleek hair, and the way they smiled at me.

I didn't remember any of that. At all.

**Kronik**

I guess I was smiling too much. Smiling at Belladonna when she talked to Snow. Smiling when Jinx argued with everyone else.

It pissed off Elijah.

So how does Elijah fix things? He dismembers them with swords.

Elijah gripped his sword tightly and swung it up. I dodged it and picked up my own sword, immeidatly falling into a defensive stance. This was the first real fight Elijah had had all Games, and the smile on his face showed his excitement.

Our swords both rose and clashed with a metallic clang. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Raven shoving Snow behind her. Jinx was grinning sadistically, just like Elijah. Both of them loved suffering.

Bring the sword, up, and then down. Block his jab and try mine. Over and over and over. I can feel anticipation from every side.

The eagerness to see blood rings through the air. I was ashamed that I wanted to see him die.

I stuck my sword into his arm and watched the blood well up and flow down his pale skin. It was so startling contrasting I was taken aback for a second. Elijah took advantage of that second.

He swung and hit my arm, and completely cut it off. Just above where my elbow once was. Blood practically squirted out and my bones and muscles were fully exposed. Belladonna shuffled Snow back a few inches, but her eyes were glued to me and Elijah.

I still had my right arm that held the sword. But I dropped the sword quickly and snatched a short knife that Jinx had left and stabbed it into Elijah's stomach.

Angrily, Elijah retaliated. His sword ran through my lower stomach, and I could feel it hitting my spine. Shivers of pain and nerves ran up my back. I saw the blood pouring out of my stomach and stump of an arm.

Elijah was dying quickly. His face was pale and blood kept flowing and flowing.

"No!" Belladonna screamed. Snow had gotten in front of her and was walking towards me. His little shoes were getting blood all over them. Elijah's blood. My blood.

A cannon erupted and Elijah fell to the ground. Without consciously wanting to, I fell to my knees. Little Snow went down on his knees next to me. He took his hand and ran it through my brown hair with its black streak. I took my hand, wishing it didn't have any blood on it and set it on his shoulder.

His gray eyes bored into my brown ones. Belladonna knelt next to us. She put one arm on my shoulder and one hand lightly touching Snow's neck. We made a sort of trinity there in the arena. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Jinx leaving, and I could see the bleeding corpse that was once Elijah.

When I felt my heart slowing and my eyes fluttering, I used the last of my strength to pry their hands off of me and say, "Go."

Belladonna smiled sadly and led Snow away. The Careers were done for. But maybe it was better for everyone else that way. My last thoughts were that I was glad I died while taking someone else out with me, even though I didn't want either of us to die.

**Will**

Ally was still sad. When the 5 cannons went off over the day she cried every time.

Colton didn't like it either. He kept looking at us funny.

I took my finger and ran it through the weird dirt. As carefully as I could, I wrote. I wrote my name, and then my sisters names, and then I tried to spell Allyson and Colton's names. After every name, I had to wipe it away before I could write the next name.

Allyson watched my fingers trace the letters. She reached over, and next to where I wrote, she drew. She drew smiling faces and little hearts. I turned up my face and smiled at her.

It was a happy time.

But it was just me and Allyson and that was wrong. So I got out of Ally's lap and ran over to Colton, pulling on his hand. I tried to drag him over to where I was sitting before. He let me take him there.

Colton sat down with us. Carefully, I sat in Allyson's lap and kept my hands on Colton's.

"I like it here," I said to them. "It's warm and bouncy. I can write in the dirt and watch Ally draw. I like it. It's like home, but outside. If Jae and Lynn and Mommy and Daddy were here, it would really be like home. Then I wouldn't ever want to leave. Can we stay here?" I realized how much I loved the idea of staying in the jumpy jungle. I remembered my sisters, their clear blue eyes and long hair. The way they laughed and the way they walked. Everything about them made them my favorite people.

Ally sort of smiled and Colton sort of nodded. They looked happy on their faces, but not in their eyes. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but it didn't seem like they would answer.

So I left Ally's lap and went behind her. I ran my fingers through the braid I had made and smoothed it out so I could braid it again. Tighter, maybe, cleaner. Allyson turned into Lynn with her blond hair. Because it was dark, she could almost be Jae with her brown hair.

But they weren't there. Allyson was, though. So was Colton. Because they were there, I pretended. I pretended this was home. I pretended this was anything like home.

**Deaths this chapter:**

**Keenan**

**Brooke**

**Amber**

**Kronik**

**Elijah **

**Fairly short, but I'm rather proud of it. I tried to delve into Will's character at the end. I tried to go a little bit into Keenan, and I feel horrible for wiping out both Dimare sisters at once. **

**Questions. How did I do on the death scenes? Obviously there wasn't much to Brooke and Ambers, but how about Keenan's or Kroniks or Elijah's? Did you like the POV's of Will or Cliff? **

**Clear Soda. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Quick note…only 14 left!**

**Angel**

Rose was absolutely horrified. She had broken down crying after we lost Keenan and so had I. We had to hold each other through the tears.

Our mourning couldn't last long though. A gentle rain began which seemed to fit the mood. It fit the mood until it began to burn. Wherever it hit my skin the rain left a small red mark.

The same was happening to Rose, who looked at the marks with a strange curiosity.

I had to think. The rain wasn't burning through skin or tissue, and it didn't make us bleed. It wasn't hurting us, really. So what was its purpose? To annoy us? To drive us somewhere?

But we weren't being driven anywhere.

There was a horrifying scream from the right of us. It sounded as though a girl was being tortured. On and on she screamed.

A girl ran through the trees towards us, screaming. Red marks similar to those on my arms stood out all over her arms and face and legs. Her pants were cut to her knee, and her purple hair was tangled beyond measure. A wild look was in her eyes. It was Ribbon, the insane girl.

Rose screamed when she saw Ribbon. Suddenly, Keenan was in the back of our minds.

I picked up Rose and ran. Ribbon, still screaming, ran after us. Very soon I realized we weren't going fast enough. Ribbon was gaining on us and Rose was crying.

I tried my best to pick up speed by jumping farther, but Ribbon jumped farther than me. So I did the only thing I could.

I remembered what Keenan did for Rose. The way he gave her to me to protect so that she could live. The little girl in my arms with bright red hair and watering green eyes used to be protected by someone who loved her very much. It was the least I could do to keep that going.

"Keep running!" I screamed. Then I threw the 6 year old. She landed and bounced on her butt but quickly got up and bounded away. From there I turned on my heel and faced the screaming girl.

Ribbon jumped and threw herself onto me. We scrambled for a moment and her fingers found my throat. I felt my windpipe closing and saw the blackness clouding over my vision. Then I could almost hear Rose crying as I floated.

**Ribbon**

Burning. Stinging. Ow. Ow. Horrible. Bad. Bad.

Throat. Closed. Happy. Boom. Dead.

Running fast. Burning. Stinging. Ow. Ow.

Girl and boy. They were causing pain? They were. They were causing the pain. Little boy was cause.

Red haired girl was running. Little boy was slow.

Get to catch him.

Too easy. Killed his friend now kill him. He deserved it.

Throat to fingers. Closed. So fun. So fun. He tried to scream. Stop him.

Boom. Dead.

Keep running. Burning. Stinging. Ow. Ow. Bad. Bad.

Little boy didn't make ow happen.

Boy in tree found. His fault? His fault.

Boy running. Not away. Towards.

His fingers found face. OW! He caused pain. His fault.

Finger going to throat. Stopped. Black dots. Black dots.

What was I doing?

I had just killed two people. Two innocent people. A little boy, Rouge, and one girl protecting another.

And I was dying. His name was Everest, and I was thankful for him killing me. I had killed too many people. I was ready to die. I was so ready.

**Bexter**

Audriaunna was long gone. So I was alone. So I sat in a tree and was bored.

3 people had died. The night sky reported one from the Palace, one from Dome, and one from Shack. The insane girl was one of them, and I guessed she was the one who had screamed nonstop all day long.

The heart-breaking part was the little boy Rouge. Of course, almost every night there was a heartbreaking part where a small kid died. Last night it had been Amber. Before that it was Audriaunna and Cyra and Dawson and everyone else.

My sisters were at home, hopefully not as hungry as I was. Because I was slowly starving.

I didn't pretend to know how this would all end. I definitely didn't pretend I had a good chance of coming out on top.

But either way, as nice as the weather was, this place was horrible.

**This is super short because I was super uninspired. I'm sorry! You know what's helpful? What I'm going to ask for.**

**First off, how did I do Ribbon? I wanted it to sound disjointed and strange, so how did that work? **

**Also, I think I know how I will choose a winner. I want your opinions. Please review with you choice and reasoning. I need convincing reasons to be convinced. This will make you all happier with the ending. By the way, by winner I mean older tribute. You can tell me what youngers tributes you want to get out, though too. **

**Tributes left: Belladonna, Everest, Jinx, Allyson, Colton, Ember, Cliff, Bexter.**

**Snow, Will, Rose. **

**I wont be able to write for 5 days, because I will be in California, which is half way across the country. So you have plenty of time. Very few chapters left with only 7 more older tributes to die. **

**Purring Hare. **


	15. Chapter 15

**I understand this isn't my usual chapter, but I really wanted to do it and I'm uninspired and tired, so leave me alone. I'll get back to the Games soon. Also, I love Posy. So there.**

**Posy**

I was on Gale's lap, as usual. Isaac and Seraphin sat next to me, as usual. But Katniss was far away. And Peeta wasn't anywhere near us. Peeta was sitting on the stage in front of us in a large armchair. A couch was next to him.

11 people were still in the arena, and their family and friends were going to be questioned by Peeta.

It was the interviews. Normally they wait until the final 8, but this time Katniss only counted the older tributes. Only 7 older tributes were still…with us.

First was Belladonnas older brother, Dexter Rosen. They were going in no particular order except that Katniss decided it.

Dexter was in his twenties with dark hair like Belladonna. He accepted Peeta's handshake with a smile. They both sat down comfortably.

"So," Peeta started. "Let's start with the obvious. Are you proud of how Belladonna is doing in the arena?"

Dexter's smile sort of slipped. "She's playing the game well."

"But what do you think of her strategy?" Peeta pushed.

"I like Snow, and I'm glad Belladonna's protecting him. The kid reminds me of my daughter. But Belladonna sort of lost that warmth when she lost Kyrie in the first Capitol Games, and I'm not sure Snow is doing her any favors by giving it back."

"What do you mean?"

"She's been alone and hard for so long. Thawing out so quickly might mess her up." Dexter explained.

"Do you hope she gets out alive?" Peeta asked quietly.

"Most of me does. But part of me thinks she's broken too much. Maybe if she survives, she'll get better." Dexter said, just as quietly.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you Dexter." Peeta said, and the audience clapped.

Next was Rose's parents, Mathew and Krista. Both of them had large green eyes and Krista looked like an older version of Rose exactly.

Peeta shook both of their hands and smiled at them sadly. Krista was crying and Mathew looked like he was also close to tears.

"I guess let's start with how your feeling about Rose still being in the forest. " Peeta started carefully.

"We're so grateful that she's still alive, but we want her to come home." Mathew said for his sobbing wife.

"I'm sure Keenan's death hit you both hard," Krista began crying harder. "But how will your life change if just Rose comes home?"

"Keenan meant a lot to us, but at least we would have Rose. Though she would be lost without her older brother. They loved each other so much, the same way we loved them." Mathew said, a single tear leaking out of his eye.

"I'm very sorry for the loss you've already suffered. I express my greatest wishes to see Rose home." Peeta told them.

"Thank you." Krista whispered. I clapped as they left.

Cliffsbrother Aaron was next. Aaron was 15, and had Cliff's blue eyes but much lighter hair.

"Hello Aaron." Peeta greeted him warmly. Aaron nodded in response.

"Are you proud of your brother?" Peeta asked the teen.

"He's done well, even though he's managed to lose his allies." Aaron said shortly.

"So you think that's killed him?" Peeta asked in surprise.

"I think he won't last too long alone. I'll miss him though, don't get me wrong." Aaron clarified.

"Were you very close to your brother?" Peeta asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah. We got more distant when he started training for the Games, but we still talked and hung out and stuff. He's still my brother and I would never want him to die." Aaron got defensive.

"I understand. Unfortunately, your time is up and we have to welcome the next person. Good bye Aaron." We clapped as he left.

SummerDream, Snow's 12 year old sister, was up next. She had the same black hair as both of her brothers and very light gray eyes. It was sort of scary.

"Hello Summer." Peeta said to the hopeless looking girl.

"Hello." She said quietly. Peeta waited to see if she would say anything else, and she didn't.

"So, Summer, how do feel about Snow being in the Games?" Peeta started casually.

Summers face tightened. "He needs to come home. I can't lose him too. I don't have anyone else."

"Who else did you lose?"

"My brother Autumn, in the 76th Games. He had been taking care of us, our parents died during the rebellion, and when he died it was just Snow and me. So I can't lose Snow. I can't." Summer's large gray eyes started to water.

"What is your relationship with Snow?" Peeta pondered aloud. "Why exactly couldn't you continue without him?".

Summer looked offended. "I protect him. He's so little and he doesn't understand things. You don't understand how innocent he is. Snow kept asking when Autumn was coming home, and he expected me to tell him he'd be home soon and I was the one who he looked up to for answers ever since we lost Autumn. Haven't you ever wanted to save someone, but not been able to?"

Peeta's looked down with a strange expression. A buzzer went off and Summer excused herself from the stage.

Thefifth person was Flare Flame, Jinx's mother. She looked mean. Her hair was crimson and her eyes were black. She walked in like she owned the stage, and Peeta too.

"Hello Mrs. Flame." Peeta said as calmly as he could. Flare looked disgustedly at his extended hand. Peeta quickly drew it back and cleared his throat.

"So, Mrs. Flame," Peeta started.

"Call me Flare." Flare corrected meanly. I didn't like her already. She was just mean.

"Alright, Flare, then. How do you feel Jinx is doing in the arena?" Peeta asked hesitantly.

"She will do _so_ much better without those idiots by her side. She should have gone off on her own the first day in that arena. My little Jinxy was never good with groups. Besides, killing them would have been so much easier than working with them."

The crowd started to murmur. Why would this woman say that?

Peeta tried to get it back on track. "Of course. If you could tell Jinx anything right now, what would you say?"

Flare grinned. "Keep it up honey, but get yourself some more brutal kills or I can't say we'll mourn your death at home." Then, Flare stood up, swished her black dress around, and left everyone with their mouths hanging open.

Ardis,the girl a lot of people had been waiting for was next. She was Colton's friend with very long brown hair that had been braided into twin braids like mine. Peeta was trying to compose himself.

"Hello Peeta." Ardis said pleasantly. I liked her way more than Flare. She was at least nice.

"Hello Ardis," Peeta said back just as nicely. "I guess we should start with what everyone's asking, how do you feel about Colton and Allyson's relationship?"

Ardis sort of laughed nervously. "So far it seems like their really close friends. At least, on Colton's side of it. Allyson might be getting a little bit close…"

The audience started to smile at Ardis. Peeta started again. "So do you like Colton as more than a friend?"

Ardis' face darkened. "It is none of your business."

"So the answer is yes. Does Colton know?" Peeta pushed.

"You are digging into my personal life. That is rude. And no. Once again, it's none of your business." She was mad.

"What's your favorite color?" Peeta asked with a smile.

"What?" Ardis was confused.

"It's a non-personal question."

"Blue. Or red." Ardis said slowly. A buzzer rang and we clapped as she left.

Allyson'sdad, David Dovecoat, was the next person being interviewed. He had icy blond hair and small blue eyes. Something in his face screamed 'greedy'.

"Good evening Mr. Dovecoat." Peeta said warmly. He seemed to be recovered by that point.

"Good evening." Mr. Dovecoat said stiffly. Peeta tried to ease the tension.

"So, Mr. Dovecoat, how do you feel about Allyson's performance in the arena?"

Mr. Dovecoat smiled. "I was never prouder of her than when she stuck that boy in the chest with a knife. I was practically crying I was so proud." Anyone who was whispering stopped. The whole room was silent.

Peeta, eyes wide stuttered, "You mean, you mean to say that, that you're _glad_ that your daughter killed someone?" Mr. Dovecoat's smile remained.

"Of course! She finally made something of herself, proved her worth! Isn't that what every father wants?"

Peeta paused for a moment. Then he swallowed and spoke. "I suppose every father wants its little girl to be something special." Peeta said. He saw the timer. There was still just under a minute left.

"Well, sir, our time is just about up. Let's move on to our next interviewee." Mr. Dovecoat left the stage. I didn't like him at all.

A tall woman with chestnut colored hair was introduced as Nova Thorne, Everest's mother. She looked nice enough.

"Hello Peeta." She said nicely. Peeta smiled at her, relieved for the normality.

"So, Mrs. Thorne,"

"You can call me Nova." Nova said quickly, yet somehow politely. Peeta smiled at her.

"Alright. So, Nova, Everest seems to have done alright for himself in the arena. Any thoughts?" Peeta asked.

Nova looked sad. "It's hard to watch your baby kill people, even if you know it's the only way he'll come back to you. I'm sure you wouldn't know, but any mother of these tributes could tell you."

Peeta raised his eyebrows slightly. I remembered what Mr. Dovecoat had said about being so proud. So I doubted any parent would say that.

"If you could tell Everest something, what would you say?" Peeta asked Nova. A wistful smile came over Nova.

"I would tell him to come home. His father and I miss him a lot and we can hardly bear him being in that horrible place. So just come home. "

"Thank you Nova, but our time is up."

"Thank you Peeta."

Twogirls were next. Jae and Lynn, Will's older sisters. Jae was 12 with brown hair, and Lynn was 10 with blonde hair. They both had the same blue eyes as Will, and they both looked sad.

"Hello girls." Peeta said.

"Hi," They each mumbled. Peeta smiled at them.

"So, what do you girls think of Allyson and Colton?"

"They're nice," Lynn said quietly. Jae jumped in to add more.

"Allyson helped Will so much, and Colton seems to be really good as well." Jae finished.

"And how do you think he's doing in the arena?" Peeta pried.

"Very good," Jae said shortly. This time, Lynn smiled and kept going.

"I think he's doing okay. I hope he doesn't kill anyone. Then he wouldn't be Will anymore." Lynn said softly.

"What would you say to Will if you had the chance?" Peeta asked them softly.

"I would tell him I love him." Jae said, looking down. Lynn put a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"That we both love him." Lynn finished.

"Thank you girls." Once again, we clapped, they left.

Ember'sfriend Iggy was walking on stage after the girls left. He had a sad look in his blue eyes and his red hair was messy. Iggy was about Ember's age.

"Hello Iggy." Peeta said. I was starting to get bored.

"Hello Peeta. It's nice to meet you." Iggy said back, his mouth in a straight line.

"So, Iggy, you knew Ember's cousin Iris too, didn't you?" Peeta asked in a light tone.

"Yes I did. That's how I met Ember." Iggy said in a falsely happy voice. He just looked so sad.

"Did you ever get closer than friends with either of the girls?" Peeta asked, eyebrows raised.

"No. Iris and I were very good friends, and Ember and I were just friends. It was all very respectable." Iggy said unhappily.

"Now what is with the bracelet? You gave to it Iris and now Ember has it." Peeta said. I remembered seeing it as both of their tokens.

"It's an old bracelet that was in my family for a long time. Iris had liked it when she saw it so I gave it to her as her token. I thought Ember might want something to remind her of Iris in the arena. That's all." Iggy said, rolling her eyes.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Iggy." Peeta waved. Iggy nodded and left.

Fourvery small girls entered, all with dark skin, hair, and eyes, very clearly related to Bexter Anne. They were very thin and they all picked at their light colored dresses.

"Hello girls." Peeta said in the voice you use with puppies.

They all sort of mumbled their hellos.

"Can you introduce yourself?" Peeta started.

The oldest was Raven, the next oldest was Heidi, the second youngest was Heidi, and the youngest was Kitty. Peeta smiled as they said their names.

"And you all love your sister?" The four girls all nodded eagerly.

"I miss her a lot." Kitty said.

"It's really hard without her." Vermillion supplied.

"When is she coming home?" Heidi asked. Only Raven didn't say anything.

"Hopefully she'll be home very soon," Peeta said slowly. "It's time for you to go now." He waved good bye to the girls and the interviews were over.

Gale lifted me up and we left the building. Isaac went a different direction, Seraphin leaning on his shoulder. I watched Katniss and Peeta go, hand in hand. It seemed normal for a second. I liked the feeling of normal. If only it would stay longer.

**There. Happy? I'm so tired. I'm _so_ tired. Good night. California was exhausting, and the ocean was cold. **

**Who would you like to see go next day of the games? Did anyone stick out to you during interviews?**

**Good night.**

**Sparkly Emptiness. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Jinx**

I hadn't done enough killing. I'd done plenty, but it wasn't near enough. So I set out with my knives to cause destruction. After all, I was starting to not enjoy arena life.

I had been walking along a silver strip of land that wasn't annoyingly bouncy. The feeling of walking normally was nice.

As I looked at the silver ground, the edges blurred and faded. Soon, it was no longer silver but remained solid ground. I narrowed my eyes. Had the Gamemakers just hid the semblance of normal I'd found?

No. Stepping off, I was very pleased to find that the rest of the ground was back to normal. Thankfully. Still suspicious of this place, I pushed at a tree. It didn't bend like the trees had always done before.

I was in a normal jungle. Something I could navigate more easily.

However, as I started to walk off and hunt I realized the negative. I was moving slower than I had been without the help of the jumping. Pleased went quickly to annoyed.

Either way I pushed on. Soon, I heard sobbing. Sobbing? The pastime of the weak. And the arena had no room for the weak.

Looking I didn't see what I expected. I had expected a little girl but found a teenage girl. She looked older than me! And she was crying!

The red-head, Ember, was not going to make it much longer. I pulled back my arm and let the knife fly. Ember didn't even see me. Her eyes widened when she felt it and a few tears still leaked out of her eyes.

There were 7 of us older tributes, and then we were down to 6 when the sobbing stopped and my knife was buried in her chest.

Yanking the knife out, I heard her cannon. Perfect. 5 more to go. If I could kill 2 a day, it would all be over soon.

So with a smile on my face, I kept walking on the ground that finally made sense.

**Will**

Ally had left with the knife to go find food and other stuff. Colton had left earlier to find me some vines. Carefully, I had been weaving traps.

Colton had also found aggressive birds with sharp teeth. He killed a few, and they had tasted really good. Tree sap was flammable here. I used their teeth and tied them on the traps like trap teeth.

Colton spread 3 of my finished traps around our little camp in case of animals or other people.

I was tying the familiar knots when I stopped bouncing whenever I moved. Colton froze and we both waited. The ground wasn't a trampoline anymore. I had really like it though. I already missed it.

I remembered Lynn teaching me how to braid and Jae letting me use her long hair for braid practice. Mommy and Daddy got me twine they called it to help me learn new knots. Lynn would let me use her colored pencils to draw on her good paper and Jae helped teach me how to read. Mommy let me watch her make lunch or draw plans for new buildings and Daddy would let me help him fix tools and figure out gardens.

I missed my house, with its green shutters and rose bushes and birdbaths. I missed my big dogs Smokey and Bandit and they way they would lick me and let me ride on their backs. I missed Jae and Lynn. I missed Mommy and Daddy. I wanted to go home.

"They probably interviewed our friends and family already," Colton said. "They probably interviewed your parents and sisters, and Ardis for me."

"Does Ardis love you?" I asked him, remembering Ally saying something about them interviewing our loved ones.

"I like to think she does." He said slowly. "I think I might love her, so I hope she does. Sometimes it seemed like she did."

"Does Ally love you?" I asked him, remembering Ally looking at Colton the way Mommy sometimes looked at Daddy. Colton's back straightened and he looked at me weird.

"Why would she?" He asked.

I shrugged. His blue eyes sort of narrowed and his blue eyebrows furrowed.

A girl screamed. I looked to see Jinx, a career girl, with her foot stuck in one of my traps. The bird teeth went through the leg of her pants and into her skin. I could see spots of blood and I looked away.

Jinx looked very mad. The look on her face made me drop the trap I was working on. Jinx dragged the vine trap along with her and went towards Colton. She had a knife, and Ally had ours. I almost puked when I saw how much blood was on that knife.

I couldn't watch. I heard Colton and Jinx fighting. I heard something sink into flesh and a horrible laugh. Jinx was laughing. Then a cannon shook the ground and my friend was gone. I couldn't turn back around and see Colton without any look in his eyes or see him laying down, covered with blood.

Jinx walked around and looked at me. She glanced at her leg and then looked at me with a horrible smile. I felt myself crying. Crying for Colton and crying for how I was going to die.

I didn't want to die. I didn't want to die. I wanted to see Jae and Lynn and Mommy and Daddy and Smokey and Bandit all again. I wanted to say good-bye first.

"You made this trap didn't you?" Jinx said quietly. She grabbed my left hand. "With these hands?" I didn't nod or shake my hand or anything. I was frozen.

Jinx very carefully set her knife on my little finger. With one movement, it was gone. It hurt! It hurt! I was bleeding and it hurt and I was crying. Why was she doing this?

Then two people screamed. Both of them were girls and then there was a cannon. And then Ally was hugging me. Jinx was laying on the ground with a bloody spot on her back and I quickly turned away.

My hand was still hurting and bleeding and I lost a finger. Colton was dead and he wouldn't ever come back for me and Ally. But Ally was here and I wasn't dead and she was hugging me and I felt safe.

My heart hurt. Something metal picked up Colton and I took one last look at him. I saw his blue Mohawk and arena uniform. The scary part was his empty eyes. Another metal thing picked up Jinx, but I didn't want to look at her.

My heart hurt so much losing Colton. I couldn't lose Ally. If I lost Ally I would hurt so much worse. We were both hugging and crying. While we did that, the bottom of her shirt was cut off and wrapped around the bloody part of my hand. It hurt for a second but then started to soak up the blood.

It still hurt, but I held onto Ally to make it hurt less.

**Bexter**

Three cannons had fired during the day. Nighttime fell and the temperature dropped about 30 degrees. From a sweltering 90 to a 60 that we weren't used to anymore. It was almost pitch black and then it started raining.

While it rained it got even colder. From 60 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit in one or two hours. The rain chilled me to the bone. I was glad I still had my sweatshirt, as dirty as it was.

The sweatshirt was soaked quickly, though, and there was no where to be sheltered. The trees leaves thinned out and let large rain droplets through the canopy.

I missed home. Even though I lived on the street, I had my sisters. We could find shelter when it rained.

I heard little sobs. I couldn't help myself, I had to go towards it. I had already seen the pictures in the sky. With only 7 people left and only 4 of them being older, very few were capable of making those sobs.

Peeking around a tree, I saw Rose, shivering and crying alone. I dropped to her side. Her eyes were huge and green. Although all of my sisters had brown eyes and brown skin like me, I saw them in the pale green eyed girl.

I knew her allies were gone, including her brother. She lost her protectors, and also someone she loved. Loves even, not just loved.

So, against what would keep me alive, I sat down next to Rose and put an arm around her. She stopped crying and looked over at me. Vain and hopeful, I wondered if she'd accept me as an ally. Maybe even a friend.

Apparently she was desperate. Because Rose curled into me and fell asleep. Who knew when the last time she slept was.

So I let myself daze off, but not sleep, as I questioned why in the world I was doing this.

**That was easier to write than I thought it would e. Not morally, but inspirationally. I still felt horrible killing someone heartbroken and someone else loved by so many people, both in story and out. **

**Deaths this chapter-**

**Ember Pillox**

**Colton Blackwood**

**Jinx Flare **

**(Also Will's finger)**

**Now that we have that, who do you want to win now? Allyson, Bexter, Belladonna, or Everest? Do you think all of the kids should get out? How do you feel about the people who died this chapter? **

**I know Will's POV was long, but it had a lot of important stuff in it. **

**Also, does anyone want me to do a fourth in the Children series? Any suggested titles if yes?**

**Sentient Hairbrush. **


	17. Most recently updated as of July 3rd

**This is the feast scenes.**

**Rose**

Keenan was being ripped apart and torn to pieces and the evil monsters weren't stopping. They kept growling and Keenan threw me to Angel and then Angel threw me and turned to fight. Then I was running alone. Bexter picked me up and carried me for a long time. Then, she threw me into a deep pit and I was falling. It was dark, and I just kept falling.

I woke up. I felt tears running down my cheeks and I felt them starting to freeze onto my face too. Bexter wiped them away before they could really freeze. I smiled at her as best I could. But my face hurt and I still felt sad.

My nightmare had made me miss Keenan and Angel more than I had ever. While I kept crying, Bexter kept catching my tears with her fingers. I wanted to do it myself, but my arms felt heavy. So I let her keep doing it.

While her hand was on my face I bent over and sneezed hard. It hurt my head. Then I started coughing and something came out of my mouth. Bexter looked scared and wiped her fingers on my chin. She pulled her fingers back with small specks of red. Blood.

I didn't know very much about being sick or anything, but I had learned about blood in the last week. Blood wasn't good. Blood took people away. Was I dying?

I didn't want to die.

Bexter looked extra scared. Maybe I really was dying.

Bexter just kept wiping the blood off of my chin and the tears off of my cheeks. The sound of our anthem played and then the man we always heard talking during games was talking.

"Hello tributes of the 78th Hunger Games!" He yelled. It hurt my ears so I curled into a ball and tried not to hear it as much. It didn't work. "We invite you all to a feast at the Cornucopia. You will find ladders leading up to the upper part up the arena, the dead wintery version of the one you are in right now. There you will find food for the hungry and medicine for the dear little ones who have all seem to caught a cold. I must warn you, without food for the hungry or medicine for the kids, both groups will be dead in a day. The feast is in 2 hours at the Cornucopia." He was done.

Bexter stood up and picked me up to go with her. "We have to go," She whispered. "Or you won't make it."

I was too tired to say anything back. All I did was cough once, feel something warm on the arm I coughed into, and fall asleep.

**Allyson**

Colton was dead and Will was injured. And I? I was a killer of two people. But I kept going. I kept going for Will, and for my own life. Even if it seemed not quite worth it anymore.

Will was hacking and spraying blood when Claudius gave the announcement. To keep Will alive, I had to go. But I couldn't leave Will or he would surely be murdered.

So I had to take him with me. I knew the Gamemakers were probably hoping for this to be the final bloodbath. But I wouldn't let myself or Will be a part of that. Will would stay alive, and I would stay alive.

Carefully, I picked up the coughing kid. Even though it was so much colder than it had been, a layer of sweat covered his face. Will clung to me and I think he started crying.

Claudius hadn't been lying. Ladders were everywhere, leading up into the old world.

I held Will to my hip and very slowly climbed my way to the top. Will started shivering and shaking.

When I maneuvered myself onto solid ground, the hole I went through closed up. It was 10 degrees colder up here than it was down there, and I started shivering too.

I cradled Will like he was half his size and he started coughing again. His blood stained the white snow. His place his finger used to attach to was starting to turn a horrible color and it needed to be treated immediately. There was medicine for it in the Capitol, but we wouldn't get it here.

I couldn't keep track of the time, but after a while Will fell asleep. Or fell unconscious, but I hoped it was the former.

I heard a girl frantically say, "Snow?" And then a slap of a hand against skin. No doubt she was mentally kicking herself for making noise. It was either Bexter or Belladonna, and I didn't want to kill either of them.

After I felt as though I had frozen into the ground, a table settled onto the hard ground. It was piled high with food. Some packaged or canned, others just bare loaves of breads or bunches of fruit. At the base of the table sat three syringes labeled 'Sickness', and a 4th labeled 'Amputated'.

They had Will's medicine. _They had Will's medicine. _

I just about lunged for it immediately before I saw Cliff start running. I remembered him being strong and muscular. He was clean and looked menacing in each of my memories. Now he was so thin his ribs showed even through his shirt. His muscles strained against his skin as though his skin had stretched and thinned against them. He hadn't eaten for a long time.

Now, faced with all this food, Cliff couldn't help himself. He was running top speed and another figure quickly went in after him. The Raven swooped in with a knife that cut smoothly through the skin of his back, allowing blood to pour from the body.

Belladonna then took a syringe, a loaf of bread, and a package of beef jerky before running back into cover. She was armed and now had what she needed to stay alive longer. Food.

Looking at Will, I knew I had no option. I ran into the clearing, towards the table. As quickly as I could, I grabbed two syringes for Will and three packages, not looking at what was in them, just running.

As I left, I felt something lodge itself in between my shoulder blades but I didn't stop. All I did was scoop up Will and keep going.

There were very few openings back into the jungle, but I took one. It was warmer there. No warmer than it had been when we left, but warmer. As Will snored softly, he was definitely sleeping, I could hear his breathing change. It was shallower and fewer.

One syringe in one arm, one syringe in the other. His breathing evened out almost immediately. I exhaled a tension I didn't know sat so heavily on me. I was almost hysterical with relief when I pulled a sharp stick out of my back. It didn't even matter.

**Everest **

My stick hit the chick, but she didn't go down. Either way, the feast clearing was open and overflowing with precious food. So of course I ran to it. Immediately I stuffed my cheeks with dainty looking buns filled with cheese. The gooey cheese coated my mouth and I almost moaned at the taste.

It was the first thing I had eaten in days, and I was hoping to make my ribs less visible through my clothing. There were a few backpacks in the center of the table, all empty. So I took one and stuffed it with those cheese buns and packets of dried fruit and jerky. It was enough to last me several days, though I hopefully wouldn't be in the arena that long.

Under the backpacks was something I had wanted ever since I got in this stupid arena. Weapons. It was only a few throwing knives…but _weapons_ I could've started drooling right then. I could end this now.

I took the four knives, putting three in my backpack and keeping one on hand.

Then I started walking, even scooping up snow to wet my parched throat. Normally I would be afraid of it freezing me faster, but I was already headed into a warmer place. I dropped happily into the no longer bouncy jungle and started going on my way.

But this time, instead of hiding, I was welcoming a fight. And I found one. I came across a ladder with a girl, Bex-something or other, coming down. Because I couldn't tell if she was armed, I did it quickly. I threw my knife into the back of her neck and ran.

She wasn't decapitated, but I saw plenty of blood before I left.

I also heard a little kid crying, but I ignored her.

With a grin on my face, I kept walking. Survival was the only thing on my mind. The only thing that still mattered.

When I saw Belladonna reasoning with a crying little boy, I didn't see a weapon, and I didn't see a reason to leave her alone. So I pounced as gracefully as my tired muscles could.

But she was faster. I saw her twist and her face tightened. One hand lightly covered the kid's face and the other hand thrust a knife into my stomach. I could actually feel my cheese-bun filled intestines fall out of my body.

I fell to the ground, attempting to keep myself calm by watching Belladonna closely. The Raven was leaning over the dark haired boy, whispering, "Come on, Snow. I'm going to give you the shot now. Just close your eyes and hold my hand." The kid started crying louder.

After about 30 seconds, Belladonna lifted my backpack away from me, put more things into it, and then carried the little boy away from me, leaving me to die. It was only a few minutes before I could feel something pull at my consciousness and I blacked out.

I never got to wake up.

**Bexter**

My neck was dripping with red. I was running with Rose holding my hand. She was slower than usual because she was just cured but she was still running for both of our lives.

No one chased us, and I knew where I was going by the way my vision kept blurring. All I saw was my sisters while I looked Rose frantically pumping her legs. Her face alternated from Raven to Heidi to Vermilion to Kitten.

I heard someone scream that wasn't Rose. She was older. Soon the blonde girl came into view. Allyson's hair was strangely chopped and a little blonde boy, Will, was next to her. They looked like siblings.

I realized I had somewhere to keep Rose safe. The little girl had grown on me, and I liked her a lot. The idea of her dying after her brother died for her was horrible.

"Please," I said, hating how hoarse my voice was after so much disuse. "Keep her safe. Please, win. My sisters are alone. Homeless. give them somewhere to go. Make sure they know I sent you."

Allyson nodded hurriedly, gathering Rose into her arms. Will looked up at her jealously and slipped under her arms too. The way Allyson looked at them reminded me of the way that I thought of my sisters.

I was so glad that I trusted my little girls with her. She could take care of them the way I never could. As I felt my blood running down my skin, I plucked the ribbon halo off of my head and gave it to Rose.

Rose looked at it and then put it on her own head, leaving Allyson to run over to me and give me a hug. She smiled into my shoulder and when she pulled away I wiped the blood off of her face.

Rose scampered away again and I laid down, waiting. I heard Allyson consoling the two kids and I was peaceful in that moment.

One of my last thoughts was that I was rooting for Allyson.

**Only Allyson and Belladonna left…who are you voting for and why? I want good reasons to sway my decision because honestly I have no idea. Should any of the younger kids die?**

**I wish I had a good reason for not updating for so long. But I don't, and it makes me feel like a bad human being. For the first time in a _long_ time, I just didn't want to write. I had to force this chapter out and it hurt. I ended up killing more people then I expected and the whole time I just felt bad for not having it done sooner. **

**Either way, one more chapter of the games and then probably the victor meeting the other victors and Posy and Gale. **

**Please let me know who you want to win!**

**Also...also...also! It's my birthday tomorrow! July 3rd! Yay me, I'm not dead yet! W00t!**

**Jumping Teachers. **


	18. The Finale

**Before we start the chapter, I have to say something. The final two are Belladonna and Allyson, created by Sydney State Of Mind and Glassgift, respectively. Both are brilliant (characters and people). I hope you're all satisfied with the way I ended the Games and I would love to hear your feedback.**

**Belladonna**

Snow held my hand as we walked. I was giving him instructions.

"I'm going to find the other girl. After that, you can go home. I'll go with you. You'll have some new friends your age, and you'll see your sister again. Okay? But you have to stay where I tell you to. Okay?" I saw my serious expression mirrored in Snow's huge gray eyes. He looked up at me so innocently. I knew he was just starting to understand his older brother wasn't coming back.

In the jungle, there were some trees that I could tuck Snow away into to keep him safe. He didn't have to die now. No one had to die except Allyson. Then I could go home, give Snow and his sister a big house to live in. Snow had grown on me.

After shooing him up the tree, I checked off everything with him. Berries and jerky to eat, his brown sweatshirt cover himself with, a little knife if any animals attacks him, but I hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"Belladonna?" His small voice questioned. It made me half smile and I looked up at him. His hair was blowing wildly in the strong winds so I could clearly see his big eyes.

"Yes Snow?"

"Will we see Kronik again soon?" He looked confused and hopeful and desperate.

I sighed. "I hope not Snow. Now, be good. Be quiet. You can play with your top but don't drop it." Snow nodded slowly and I turned and left.

Shaking off the love and the cute little boy vibes, I darkened my thoughts at will. I'd get out of the arena the way my Kyrie never did. All I had to do was place a knife into Allyson's chest and it would be over. All over.

All perfectly over.

She had no name now. She was no human. She was only my opponent.

I had three knives strapped to me. I withdrew one and kept it tightly in my hand.

She wasn't trying to be quiet. I heard her from a half a mile away.

When I saw her, she was lifting a little girl into a tree and turned to face me.

"I was expecting you soon," She said. "I had to hide the kids first." Her face turned upwards to the tree and a smile spread over her face.

"I don't think I can beat you. But I'm going to try." She said. And then she was running. I could see the glints of silver in her hands and she still ran, forcing me to chase her.

So I chased her for a long time. It must have been half an hour of running. She was fast, graceful. But I could overpower her any day. She took longer strides, but I put more power behind mine.

We both came to a wall. A wall that stopped her in her tracks and she turned to face me. Her hair was in her face, and so was mine. I picked up the hand without a knife and I tucked my hair behind my ear, never losing eye contact with her.

Now, what would be the best way to take her out?

We stared at each other for a long time, just trying to figure out how to take one another down. Throw a knife to maybe injure her but mostly distract her, and run. Back her against the wall and go for the throat. It would be simple.

So I threw the first knife straight for her thigh and watched her squeal as it sank in. Now she wouldn't be running anywhere.

I ran towards her, my hand reaching for another knife. Once I closed to 50 yards between us, I paused and aimed my hand carefully. She watched me with fear in her eyes, the way it should be.

Because everyone should fear death. And that's what I was then. Death.

My hand lowered quickly and I waited for the feeling of it slicing through her flesh. But I didn't feel that.

Her hand had shot up and grabbed my knife in a way that didn't completely take of her hand, but got a nice line of blood going. So I pushed, but she was resisting, shifting her hand so I couldn't take it off.

While we grappled with that, I reached with my other hand for another knife. I had one in my hand and I looked into her eyes, wanting to see the look on her face when she died.

But she didn't look afraid anymore. She didn't even look grateful like some tributes seemed to be. She looked…sorry. Sorry for me? Why would she be sorry for _me_? She was the one who was going to die.

"I'm sorry Belladonna." She said quietly. "I made a promise."

I had forgotten about her knife. It was hard to forget it when it was lodged in my chest though.

I fell to my knees and looked up at Allyson. But I didn't see Allyson. A memory swam through my head.

_On the day of the 76th Hunger Games reapings I wore a short green dress and Kyrie wore a white button up shirt and a blue tie. I talked to him and his sister right before the reapings. Libby looked so cute._

_Then his name was called. Kyrie was going into the games. I tried to get in, to tell him goodbye, but there was no opening. He left without another word. _

That's went I thought of, that horrible day two years ago, when Kyrie left and didn't return. I watched him fall in love and then die.

And then die.

Die.

**Allyson**

When the cannon shot and I heard the words claiming that I won, I bent over and retched. A bit of bile exited my body, burning my throat.

I didn't have to kill Belladonna. Even though Belladonna attempted to kill me, I didn't have to kill her. I could have gone peacefully, maybe telling Belladonna about Bexter's sister first.

But I didn't.

I killed her.

I killed Belladonna.

A ladder was lowering next to me and, in a daze, I grabbed it. Actually, I held on for dear life, even though I could feel in freezing me there. I watched other ladders come up simultaneously.

Once inside the hovercraft I was met by some important looking officials but I ignored them. I went straight for the ones heading straight for me. Will held on to me, crying. Rose, who's hair was mysteriously in a tight French braid, did the same. We all huddled there, crying.

Another little person inched forward. Snow. In his hands he clutched a battered orange top. "Where's Belladonna?" He asked shakily. I bit my lip, trying to decide how to tell him. How to tell him Belladonna wasn't ever coming back for him.

His face crumpled and he fell onto his knees. Snow started bawling. His tears hit the floor and the poor kid looked like he was about to collapse in on himself.

I shifted Will and Rose to one arm and opened the other one out as an invitation to Snow. He gratefully took it. The four of us, all shuddering and shaking, stayed there until they pulled us away from each other.

My leg was bleeding profusely, something I had actually forgotten about. They said they'd have to knock me out for a while to fix me up, so I waited as the dreaded darkness came over me.

But _I _got to wake up. Nike, Jinx, and Belladonna would never wake up. I remembered the last looks on their faces. Nike was furious, Jinx was furious, and Belladonna was confused and scared and furious.

When I woke up, I saw something I wasn't sure I liked. My skin was flawless again. It was so perfect. I wasn't that perfect anymore though. I was scarred. I wanted it to show.

Will, Rose, and Snow were all scarred too, and I didn't doubt for a second that they had undergone the same sort of operation to fix them up. Everyone should see our scars though. See what we had to go through just to get back.

At that moment I had a desire that I hadn't felt for a while. I wanted my cat Winston. I wanted to paint with real paint on real canvas. I wanted to brush my hair. I wanted to put on a white dress and lounge around my house again.

I went to meet my prep team, deciding that instead of putting the arena outfit back on, I would rip up the thin sheets and wrap those around myself. Take that.

They waxed the little hair that had grown, trimmed my hair neatly, and put some light makeup on my face. Lemon, a hyper young woman with bright yellow hair, slowly unveiled my dress for the occasion.

It was beautiful, of course. It was patterned black, gray, and white like a mockingjay and would fall to my knees like water. The had a red flower the put in my hair. But the part that hurt was the gold heels and bracelets. The bits of Colton's chariot outfits they were forcing onto me.

I had been trying to forget Colton at least a little bit. Trying not to remember when he died or how I felt for him. I loved Colton, who loved someone else. And I never got to say it.

Then there was my idiotic prep team shoving memories of him looking strong and beautiful and me.

I started crying. Bawling like Snow had. The mascara on my lashes didn't run, waterproof thankfully, but my prep team started working over me while I cried. Bee, who must have been only 16, ran out of the room looking like she was on a mission.

Bee returned a few minutes later with a few people I had really wanted to see. Will wasn't there like I hoped, but it was alright. Seraphin Grace and Isaac Pristine were there. Seraphin, looking wonderful in a red dress the same color as her hair, immediately ran towards me with open arms. I remembered that she was still only 15, and also that she lost the person she loved too.

But there was a difference between Seraphin and I. Several, actually. Seraphin never killed anyone. Not a single soul. I killed three. And there was Seraphin, with a large baby bump, signifying she still had something to hang on to. What did I have? Will? I wouldn't ever do that to him!

But it didn't matter. I clung to her desperately, still crying as she tried to calm me down.

Eventually when I stopped, I got into my dress and accessories and walked out. My eyes were dry and my thoughts clouded.

My scars would show. During the recap, my every flaw would be on display for them in my tears, in my emotions. I knew being in the Games changed people. But I didn't know it was so complete.

**It was Ally! She won! But she's forever messed up, so that's less good. Honestly, it hurt to kill Belladonna. A lot. I knew she wouldn't go down without a fight though, so she came close. **

**End of the story question time! Yay!**

**Did the winner surprise you?**

**Are you happy with who won?**

**What did I do well in the story?**

**What do I need to work on?**

**The last question is in the next paragraph**

**So, I've been thinking about titles for the next story, and I've come to 3 that I like. So you get to decide which you want it to be. 1. The Helpless Children. 2. The Poorest Children. 3. The Loved Children. Also…I'm not sure what I want the twist to be. I'll give it two or three days before I post the next story so I have time to figure all of that out.**

**Thank you for the tributes. **

**Hopeful Diamonds. **


End file.
